The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is pursuing what it considers promising leads on the effectiveness and safety in the use of virgin coconut oil or VCO as adjunct supplement for hospitalized new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
An adjunct supplement is a secondary treatment used to support or assist the primary treatment given to a patient.
Derived from the white meat of the coconut, VCO contains lauric acid and monolaurin.
These chemical compounds have been found by previous studies to stop the replication of the COVID-19 virus and the binding of the proteins of the virus to the cell membrane of the host.
These chemical properties of VCO are now being used against COVID-19 through adjunctive therapy.
One study at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) involves 74 patients who will be randomly assigned either to a standard care or treatment group.
The treatment group will receive a supplement of one tablespoon of VCO every meal, three times a day for two weeks.
Their lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, creatinine, and the effectiveness of VCO will be monitored. The effectiveness will be indicated by recovery from the symptoms and virus clearance of the patients, the DOST said in a press statement.
The PGH study will be led by Dr. Marissa M. Alejandria of UP Manila.
Another study will be conducted by DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute. In this study, VCO is given to suspect and probable cases of non-severe COVID-19 who are confined in a quarantine center or hospital.
Led by FNRI Director Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, the study will evaluate VCO’s beneficial effects especially in diminishing the signs and symptoms of COVID infection and ultimately cure.
When proven to be effective and safe, VCO can be used as a potential supplement of suspect and probable cases of COVID-19 to prevent the condition of the patient from getting worse, the DOST said.
The VCO used in the FNRI study was analyzed by the Laboratory Services Division of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Funding for the VCO studies was released through DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).
According to PCHRD, VCO supports faster recovery from signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
PCHRD funded an earlier study conducted by the FNRI.
The FNRI conducted a community trial in Sta. Rosa City that evaluated the effects of VCO as an adjunct supplement for COVID-19 by mixing VCO into the cooked meals of suspect and probable COVID-19 cases.
In previous studies, VCO has been proven to contain compounds with anti-viral properties.
The Sta. Rosa community trial was completed in October 2020 and showed that individuals who received the VCO added in their meals experienced faster recovery from the signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
These results suggest that there is a high possibility to use VCO as an adjunct supplement for suspect and probable COVID-19 cases due to its anti-viral properties, said Dr. Jaime Montoya, PCHRD executive director.
“These results are proof of our significant progress on the quest to look for accessible, safe, and effective interventions that support COVID-19 recovery. Through these efforts, PCHRD hopes to lessen the health burdens of COVID-19 among Filipinos.”
Additional confirmatory studies will determine the effectiveness of VCO as an adjunct supplement for COVID-19. This is currently being conducted by UP and FNRI.
