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The Benefits of Monolaurin
What monolaurin is, where it comes from, what the published research has actually measured, and where that evidence stops.
Introduction
Monolaurin, a natural compound derived from coconut oil, has drawn steady attention in laboratory research. This article covers what monolaurin is, where it comes from, what the published work has actually measured, and where that evidence stops. If you have read claims about it elsewhere, the sections below should make it easier to tell which ones the research supports.
Understanding Monolaurin
Monolaurin, also known as glycerol monolaurate, is a monoglyceride composed of lauric acid, a fatty acid found abundantly in coconut oil. One end of the molecule is attracted to water and the other to fat, and that structure is what the research has focused on. In cell culture and other laboratory tests, monolaurin has been reported to act on viruses that carry a lipid envelope, and on some bacteria and fungi. Everything described below is a laboratory finding.
A review in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences describes how monoglycerides and fatty acids released from triglycerides can inactivate enveloped viruses, bacteria and fungi at mucosal surfaces (Reference 1).
Enveloped Viruses in Laboratory Testing
Most of the published interest in monolaurin concerns how it behaves toward viruses that carry a lipid envelope. In cell culture, that work has reported that monolaurin can:
- Interact with the lipid envelope that surrounds certain viruses, which is the structure this research depends on.
- Disintegrate that envelope under laboratory conditions, which is the mechanism the studies describe.
- Reduce measured infectivity in cell culture, at the concentrations and contact times used in those experiments.
In the study behind Reference 2, monolaurin was tested against 14 human enveloped RNA and DNA viruses in cell culture. The authors reported that at 1% in the reaction mixture for one hour at 23°C, “all viruses were reduced in infectivity by >99.9%”, and that the compounds “reduced infectivity by disintegrating the virus envelope” (Reference 2). Those are laboratory conditions in a test tube, not amounts taken by a person.
Monolaurin Benefits and Applications
Herpes Simplex and the Lipid Envelope
Herpes simplex is one of the enveloped viruses included in that cell culture work, which is why it comes up often. What the research covers is narrow:
- Herpes simplex virus was among the 14 enveloped viruses tested in cell culture in Reference 2.
- The effect described there is physical disruption of the viral envelope in a test tube.
Gut Health and Microbial Balance
The bacterial work is also in vitro, on isolated organisms. In those tests monolaurin has been reported to:
- Act against some bacteria and not others: in Reference 3 monolaurin was cidal to Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium terrae, and Helicobacter pylori was described as extremely sensitive.
- Show no cidal effect on Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae in those same tests.
- These are results on isolated organisms in a laboratory, not measurements of anything happening in a human gut.
Skin Conditions and Fungal Infections
The fungal work follows the same pattern. In vitro, that research has looked at:
- Candida albicans, which was killed in vitro by several fatty acids and their monoglycerides in Reference 4.
- How concentration and incubation time change the result: in that study capric acid acted fastest, while lauric acid was most active at lower concentrations over a longer incubation.
There is no clinical trial in people. A search of PubMed for a clinical trial of monolaurin in herpes returns no results, so nothing on this page should be read as evidence that monolaurin treats, shortens or prevents an outbreak. Monolaurin is a dietary supplement, not a treatment, and anyone managing a diagnosed infection should speak with their doctor.
The study behind Reference 3 examined monolaurin against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis Sterne, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori and Mycobacterium terrae, and reported that “unlike the other two gram-negative organisms, H. pylori were extremely sensitive to monolaurin” (Reference 3).
The study behind Reference 4 tested Candida albicans and reported that lauric acid “was the most active at lower concentrations and after a longer incubation time”, with electron microscopy showing a disrupted plasma membrane (Reference 4).
Amounts on the Label, and Safety
Monolaurin is sold as a dietary supplement, so the amount you take is whatever the label of the product states. Points worth knowing:
- Labels vary widely between products, so read the serving size on the one you buy rather than a general figure.
- There is no established recommended intake for monolaurin, and no clinical dosing study to base one on.
- Speak with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, take prescription medication, or are managing a diagnosed condition.
Where the Research Goes Next
Published work continues on how monolaurin behaves toward organisms with a lipid envelope. Points that come up:
- Other enveloped viruses, since the envelope is the structure the whole mechanism depends on. Zika and Ebola are enveloped, which is why they are sometimes mentioned, but that is a statement about virus structure and not a finding about either one.
- Non-enveloped viruses, such as the rhinoviruses behind common colds, present no envelope at all and fall outside this mechanism entirely.
Reference 6 is a book chapter reviewing milk-derived antimicrobial lipids as antiviral and antibacterial agents, and it sits in the same in vitro tradition as the studies above (Reference 6).
Conclusion
Monolaurin is a monoglyceride made from lauric acid, and the published work on it is laboratory work: cell culture and isolated organisms, where it acts on the lipid envelope of certain viruses and on some bacteria and fungi. That is a mechanism, not an outcome in a person. There are no clinical trials in people to draw on, and monolaurin is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement, particularly if you have a diagnosed condition or take medication.
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References
- Isaacs, C. E., Kim, K. S., & Thormar, H. (1994). Inactivation of enveloped viruses in human bodily fluids by purified lipids. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 724, 457-464. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb38947.x
- Hierholzer, J. C., & Kabara, J. J. (1982). In vitro effects of monolaurin compounds on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses. Journal of Food Safety, 4(1), 1-12. doi:10.1111/j.1745-4565.1982.tb00429.x
- Preuss, H. G., Echard, B., Enig, M., Brook, I., & Elliott, T. B. (2005). Minimum inhibitory concentrations of herbal essential oils and monolaurin for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 272(1-2), 29-34. doi:10.1007/s11010-005-6604-1
- Bergsson, G., Arnfinnsson, J., Steingrímsson, Ó., & Thormar, H. (2001). In vitro killing of Candida albicans by fatty acids and monoglycerides. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 45(11), 3209-3212. doi:10.1128/AAC.45.11.3209-3212.2001
- Liu, Y., Chen, C., Wang, J., Li, Y., & Chen, J. (2012). Antifungal effect of lauric acid against Candida albicans. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 132(Supplement 2), S55.
- Isaacs, C. E., & Thormar, H. (1991). The role of milk-derived antimicrobial lipids as antiviral and antibacterial agents. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 310, 159-165. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-3838-7_19