Monolaurin Inhibits Food Pathogens, Blocks Viral Replication

Two new studies lend further support to decades of research showing that monolaurin is a potent immune support nutrient.  One shows that monolaurin has a potent ability to knock out common and serious food pathogens that cause food poisoning.  The other shows that monolaurin has unique and useful properties in helping to regulate viral replication.

The researchers showed that monolaurin¹ could inhibit Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and against Bacillus subtilis.  The researchers also combined tested monolaurin with other commonly used food preservatives and found an even stronger synergistic reaction in killing these nasty food-borne bugs.

In the viral study² researchers were doing research in an animal model that parallels early HIV infection and transmission.  They found that monolaurin had a powerful influence on signaling dendritic cells, reducing excessive inflammation, and thereby blunting the process that leads to viral infection.  The researchers concluded that their study “opens a promising new avenue for the development of effective interventions to block HIV-1 mucosal transmission.”  While the flu was not part of this study, the mechanism involved suggests that monolaurin could be useful in helping to prevent excessive inflammation during flu infection by supporting the vital needs of dendritic cells.