A Filipino inventor and business executive is promoting virgin coconut oil (VCO) intake following a study led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which found that it expedites the recovery of patients from mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Ed Lalusis, the patented inventor of encapsulated VCO and president of Growrich Food Manufacturing, asked the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider the successful clinical trials on VCO as an adjunct treatment for COVID-19 patients.
The 2021 study by the DOST-Food Nutrition and Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) demonstrated that VCO effectively hastened the recovery of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in Valenzuela City. The study, titled “Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Supplementation Relieves Symptoms and Inflammation Among COVID-19 Positive Adults: A Single-Blind Randomized Trial,” was published by the Cambridge University Press on January 23, 2024.
“The study confirms that VCO aids in the resolution of symptoms and normalization of CRP [C-reactive proteins] concentrations among mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19. Regardless of the modality, whether mixed with meals or taken directly before or after meals, VCO was shown to be effective as an adjunct therapy against COVID-19,” the study concluded.
“I commend the international recognition of the DOST-FNRI study on VCO as an important prophylaxis and treatment for COVID patients,” Lalusis said.
He said this supports claims of VCO being an effective food supplement, particularly for the symptoms of inflammation. “VCO is an antioxidant by nature, so it’s automatically anti-inflammatory,” he added.
Marco Reyes, president of the VCO Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines Inc. (VCO Philippines), said the publication of the DOST-FNRI study in an international journal reinforces the well-known benefits of the coconut derivative VCO. “This recent study is a reconfirmation of the efficacy, safety, and effectiveness of VCO among mild and moderate COVID-19 patients,” Reyes said.
The Valenzuela City expansion trials included 77 participants who tested positive for COVID-19 using RT-PCR tests at the Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital and the Valenzuela City Community Quarantine Facility.
The positive results of the clinical trials provide new science-based evidence to bolster the ongoing efforts of the DOST to support the VCO Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines Inc. in promoting VCO intake.