Beating Viruses with Monolauric Acid

Monolauric acid is an important natural agent that possesses a wide-spectrum activity against fungus and many viruses. It was first discovered in human breast milk when microbiologists studied the antiviral substances which protect infants from microbial infections. Monolauric acid is a natural, non-toxic antiviral agent that has shown no unwanted side effects in humans.

While some viruses are known to contribute to certain diseases (e.g., chicken pox, whooping cough, shingles, AIDS, etc.), others are thought, but not proven to contribute to other health problems. For instance, many studies have tried without success to link Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some cancers to viral infections.

There are three major problems in the search to discover a drug that can effectively arrest viruses. One problem is the fact that antibiotics have absolutely no effect against viruses. The second is that the numerous drugs which have been investigated are so toxic they harm the body’s own cells. The third problem is the emergence of new and more resilient viruses.

Monolauric acid is an alternative solution for assisting our bodies to safely destroy viruses. It’s name comes from the fact it is derived from the fatty acid “laurate.” Laurate is normally produced by our bodies (as well as by many animals and plants) and is part of our natural immune system. Actually, fatty acids have long been known for their anti-viral activities but only recently have they been used in a supplement.

Viruses cannot live outside of a host except for a very short period of time. This means that once they are expelled by one host (e.g., a sneeze or cough), they must be taken in by a new host almost immediately or they will die. Once a virus is transferred to a new host, it must avoid detection by the immune system to survive. A common way is for the virus to hide in the new host’s body fat. That way it is camouflaged from the immune system.

The way monolauric acid works is pretty simple. Nature designed monolauric acid specifically for melting the fat away from viruses so the immune system could recognize and destroy them. Furthermore, it enhances other immune defenses against both fungus and viruses.

In studies performed at the Respiratory Virology Branch, Center of Disease Control, in Atlanta, Georgia, while monolauric acid was very effective for a number of viruses, it had no effect on rotaviruses, polio virus, and some viruses thought to be associated with encephalitis