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Definition: A Functional Food provides a health benefit over and beyond the basic nutrients. This is exactly what fatty acids contained in coconut (e.g., desiccated coconut, coconut milk, etc.) and palm kernel do. As a functional food, coconut has fatty acids which provide both energy (nutrients) and raw material for antimicrobial monoglycerides (functional component) when it is eaten. Desiccated coconut is about 69% coconut fat. Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid Also, approximately 6-7% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are capric acid. Capric acid is another medium chain fatty, which has a similar beneficial function when it is formed into monocaprin in the human or animal body. Monocaprin has also been shown to have antiviral effects against HIV and is being tested for antiviral effects against herpes simplex and antibacterial effects against chlamydia. (Reuters, London June 29, 1999) Dr. Halldor Thormar, the Icelandic scientist, who previously showed that monolaurin, which comes from the fat in coconut, kills lipid coated DNA and RNA viruses including HIV and herpes viruses as well as other microorganisms including gram positive bacteria has just announced the potential effectiveness of monocaprin dissolved in a gel in killing HIV. Monocaprin also comes from the fat in coconut. Thormar and his colleagues plan to continue the tests with monocaprin against chlamydia and herpes simplex virus. Functional Foods were defined at:
Sponsored by International Life Sciences Institute, ILSI NORTH AMERICA, Technical Committee on Food Components for Health Promotion
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