Do you believe that washing your hands with soap for the duration of two “Happy Birthdays” songs, will kill the Corona Virus? I hope you do, for it does, and you will be safer by washing your hands. The whole world knows this.
How does soap work? Soap is a mixture of fats and oils and caustic soda. The molecule of soap looks like a microscopic pin. The head is hydrophilic i.e. attracted to water, and the pin tail is hydrophobic i.e. pushes away from water. Think of the two poles of a magnet, positive and negative – attracting and repelling. The soap molecule is just like that. It mixes with the clothing being washed, causes a separation of oil and other stains, loosens them and they are freed from the bond to the clothing. They are called surfactants. The same happens when washing your hands. To help you understand this better I quote from the net – “Surfactants are usually organic compounds that are amphiphilic, meaning they contain both hydrophobic groups (their tails) and hydrophilic groups (their heads). Therefore, surfactant contains both a water-insoluble (or oil-soluble) component and a water-soluble component.”
But now you are dealing with a virus. Did you know that scientists are not sure if viruses are animate or inanimate? Are they live or not live? This is because they do not classify properly as living cells. But that is not important. What is important is that they can do great damage, are highly reckless and go out of control, and can hardly be stopped. This is because they have a strong protective coating. A lipid coating that nothing can penetrate. Well, almost nothing! Soap can.
In simple terms the Corona Virus [not all viruses] has a lipid coating over its protein protective layer which is damaged and even dissolved by soap. The lipids are made of oils or fats and are hydrophobic and the proteins are nitrogen compounds that are hydrophilic. The pin head and tail of the soap molecule creates a disturbance into these layers of the virus, damaging it and then destroying it. Do refer to this easy-to-understand article by Palli Thordarson dt. April 8th, 2020, to learn how it works.
Soap works on the outside. Disinfectants do NOT work from the inside, no matter who says what. Let us see what can work from the inside on the lipid coating of viruses.
Lauric Acid
Even the human immune system without exposure is not able to penetrate and damage or kill viruses. Only vaccines or inoculations build up specific antibodies, which can. Furthermore, medical science has developed specific medicines for specific viruses. Apart from these there is one natural substance found in mothers’ milk and in virgin coconut oil (VCO) called Lauric Acid. It is a fatty acid, which gives good protection to the infant against most illnesses. VCO is the richest source of lauric acid with content as high as 49 % up to 51%.
VCO is extracted from the fresh kernel of the mature coconut. Coconut oil is extracted from copra, or the dried kernel of the coconut. They are different and look different.
How does lauric acid kill viruses? In our digestive system and that of a human infant, lauric acid becomes monolaurin, which is a more effective virus killer. It does the same to the virus but from the inside. Just like soap, it damages the lipid coating, and if the virus coating is exposed long enough to monolaurin, the virus will die, or becomes inactive. Once damaged the human immune system attacks and totally inactivates the virus.
What is good is that monolaurin continues to sing “Happy Birthday” the whole day long. Do remember that washing your hands is very necessary. Do also remember the moment after your hands are washed, they begin to get contaminated soon and so washing gives some protection but not security. It is a partial solution. Monolaurin is possibly the most constant dependable solution. Monolaurin controls the virus after it enters the body. Washing with soap is not enough. Washing and ingesting Lauric Acid just may be the perfect solution.
Research has been done on 16 lipid coated viruses and they are found to be susceptible to monolaurin because VCO damages and kills them. Empirical evidence have shown that they are effective against the dreaded HIV and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The flu virus is also lipid coated and has been proven to be susceptible to monolaurin. CMV is known to clog the arteries resulting in heart related diseases.
I have searched but not found a single reason why Covid 19 may not be susceptible to monolaurin. And until I find a reason, I believe that VCO is the possible and easily available prophylactic for Covid 19. Nor have I found a lipid coated virus that has shown resistance to monolaurin. So if you believe that soap can kill the corona virus from the outside, kindly do not be afraid to believe that VCO can do that constantly from the inside.
I suggest that that all of us take a tablespoon of VCO in the morning and one at night to keep the levels of monolaurin high. After the pandemic times, taking VCO just once a day either before or after meals, should suffice in keeping most illnesses, diseases and sickness at bay. However, studies have not been done on the most efficacious dosage.
Once you start taking VCO, kindly check your wellness levels. I feel confident that many people will find their wellness levels rising, at least those who have high levels of CMV. I call CMV, the world’s best kept secret.
If more coconut producers introduce virgin coconut oil brands at an affordable price, it could have a dramatic influence on people’s wellness all around the world. It could also mean a significant hit on pharma companies that sell lifestyle drugs as if they are life-saving drugs.
Read more such stories in the series ‘The Coconut’s Promise’ in SustainabilityNext.
David Lobo is the founder of the Bengaluru-based Deejay Coconut Breeding Farm Pvt. Ltd., which is into the breeding of new and better hybrid coconut palms. He neither manufacturers nor has any direct interest in virgin coconut oil.
