Lauric Acid
See also :
Other Names: Acide Laurique, Acide N-dodécanoïque, Ácido Láurico, Coconut Oil Extract, Extrait d’Huile de Noix de Coco, N-dodecanoic Acid, N-alkanoic Acid.
Lauric acid is a saturated fat. Lauric acid is a natural saturated fatty acid made by plants and animals as an energy reserve. Dietary sources include animal and human milk, dairy products, nuts, seeds and their oils, particularly in coconut and palm kernel oils.
Special Precautions of Lauric Acid
Human milk is a rich source of lauric acid. Women who breastfeed their babies, then, are giving their infants beneficial lauric acid. Speak to your doctor if you are planning to take lauric acid supplements. There is some concern about using lauric acid during breast-feeding because lauric acid passes into breast milk. Stay on the safe side and stick with food amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Benefits and uses of Lauric Acid are
- Antibacterial : Lauric acid helps to fight against the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which has been associated with gastritis, stomach ulcer, stomach cancer and heart disease. There is a significant link between H. pylori and gastric cancer, based on a study published in the "European Journal of Cancer" in 2006. The finding that significantly correlates H. pylori infection with acute heart attack appeared in a 2002 issue of "Circulation Journal." Another study published in a 1996 issue of "Antimicrobial Agents in Chemotherapy" reported lauric acid's antibacterial property. In the investigation, H. pylori was incubated with capric, lauric and myristic fatty acids. The researchers found that lauric acid was the only saturated fatty acid with bactericidal activity against H. pylori.Lauric acid's derivatives have also been found to be effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a hospital-acquired infection, states a report published in a 2005 issue of "Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy." Staphylococcus aureus is commonly found in the human nose. Individuals with compromised immune systems face the highest risk of infection.
- Antiviral : Argentine hemorrhagic fever, spread by a small rodent, is a potentially lethal infection caused by the Junin virus. In an investigation published in a 2001 issue of the "Archives of Virology," S. Barlotta and colleagues found that lauric acid's antiviral property was ascribed to its ability to block the maturation and replication of the Junin virus. By increasing cellular fat or triglyceride content, lauric acid inhibited the insertion of viral glycoproteins into plasma membranes, which reduced the virus's ability to multiply.
- Anti-Acne : According to Darren Yang and colleagues, about 85 percent, or 40 million, American teens develop acne, an inflammatory condition caused by Propionibacterium acnes. In a 2009 study published in "The Journal of Investigative Dermatology," Yang and his team found that compared with palmitic and oleic acids, lauric acid and its derivatives possess the strongest bactericidal property against P. acnes.
