By the well respected Rosemary Stanton, Nutritionist & Visiting Fellow, UNSW:
'Solid white coconut oil ... is now the darling of celebrities and bloggers, paleo enthusiasts and sellers of so-called superfoods. Claims for its supposed medical value reverberate around the internet, but how well do they stand up to scientific scrutiny?'
theconversation.com/five-cl...
Of particular relevance to us: '3. It kills bacteria and viruses
Some internet sites claim coconut oil can kill viruses, fungi and bacteria due to its content of monolaurin, a compound derived from lauric acid.
Studies in mice show monolaurin can provide some protection against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (responsible for some staph infections), but researchers doing this study found no effect with either refined or virgin coconut oil.
In particular types of infection, there is some possibility monolaurin might be of use, but it’s not valid to extrapolate from this to make claims about coconut oil when there’s no evidence the body can make monolaurin from coconut oil.'
Neil