Virgin coconut oil a potential antiviral agent vs COVID-19, research shows

MANILA, Philippines — Experiments have shown evidence that virgin coconut oil may defeat the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“There are still alternative solutions against COVID-19 aside from vaccines. Although further investigation is needed before we develop a possible prevention or treatment option, we aim to give Filipinos hope through our ongoing local research initiatives,” Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said in a statement.

After six months of experiments, results showed that compounds from coconut oil and virgin coconut oil, or VCO, a readily available commodity in the Philippines, decreased coronavirus count by 60 to 90 percent at low viral load.

Researchers also discovered that the compounds were observed to improve cell survival.

More experiments, however, are needed to determine whether higher concentrations of these compounds will further reduce the replication rate of the virus.

“The results are very promising, as not only does it show that VCO, by itself, can destroy the virus, but it also has a key mechanism in regulating the immune response against COVID-19. Indeed, we look forward to the results of clinical trials on the various uses of VCO as an adjunct for the treatment of COVID-19,” said Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the research led by Dr. Fabian Dayrit of Ateneo de Manila University sought to investigate if coconut oil compounds are effective antiviral agents to prevent or reduce COVID-19 infections, following reports of previous research that VCO compounds were effective at killing other viruses.