Virgin coconut oil seen to spur investments in coco industry

Over the past several months, interest on and demand for virgin coconut oil (VCNO) have heightened, not only here in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world.

In the country, the market for VCNO registered a remarkable growth last year after innumerable testimonies of dramatic healings due to virgin coconut oil were made public.

Paulo P. Mamangun Jr., president of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association Philippines, (VCNO Phils.) Inc., and chairman of Coconut Haven Philippines, Inc. (manufacturers of Viviendo virgin coconut oil- premium grade), said VCNO will help spur investments in the coconut industry and eventually help alleviate the lives of marginalized Filipino coconut farmers.

"Aside from economic gains, we are giving the people the opportunity to gain from the health and medicinal benefits that virgin coconut oil provides," Mamangun said.

The Department of Health has undertaken various studies on selected HIV patients in the past years. The results have been very encouraging and have been presented in a number of scientific symposia here and abroad. These have likewise been widely accepted as encouraging and have drastically altered the myth created by the negative publicities on coconut oil. VCNO Phils. is now in the process of documenting the numerous testimonies of healings attributed to it.

Mamangun, a pioneer in VCNO, started his research and studies on "coconut white oil" way back in 1983 with some colleagues from UPLB. His experiments were further developed by his three daughters who, as part of their scientific projects in elementary and high school, undertook further studies and provided additional inputs.

At present, his company manufactures premium grade virgin coconut oil as dietary supplement, and as a base for other beauty products such as body massage oils and lotions and oils and creams for the hair and skin, under the label of Viviendo, which is also being run and managed by his children.

"Premium grade virgin coconut oil is oil derived from first press of fresh, choice and mature coconut meat, without absolutely undergoing heat in the process." Mamangun explained.

"Premium grade virgin coconut oil is the only oil in the market that retains the natural characteristics of the coconut. Because of the intrinsic attributes of the process used in obtaining the oil, all the vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants, tocopherol and other substances that usually dissipate with heat and are beneficial to the human body remain intact." he said.

Mamangun said VCNO is called "virgin" probably because of its pureness, of being unrefined, unbleached and non-deodorized.

Researches show that VCNO is composed primarily of medium and short chain fatty acids (MCFA) or triglycerides. MCFA is quickly digested, goes straight to the liver through the portal vein and is transformed instantly into energy. This means VCNO does not lodge in the other recesses of the human body, does not produce fat and is non-cholesterol.

Various studies also indicate that VCNO has a high lauric acid content which helps strengthen the body’s immune system. When ingested, lauric acid is transformed by the body into the disease fighting Monolaurin.

"Aside from coconuts, lauric acid can only be found in abundance in mothers’ milk, nature’s most perfect food," studies say.

Monolaurin has shown very good results as an antibiotic and antiviral agent particularly in its potency against lipid-coated viruses and bacteria. It inactivates and disintegrates the lipids (fats) covering pathogenic microorganisms, enabling now the antibiotics to easily penetrate and kill them.

Further studies show that Monolaurin has the ability to inactivate some lipid-coated microorganisms like the viruses causing HIV, measles, herpes, visna, cytomegalovirus, sarcoma, influenza, leukemia, pneumonia and hepatitis C.

Monolaurin has also been found to inactivate the following bacteria: streptococcus that causes throat infections, pneumonia, sinusitis, ear ache, rheumatic fever and dental cavities; staphylococcus that causes food poisoning, urinary tract infections and toxic shock syndrome; neisseria that causes meningitis, gonorrhea, pelvic inflammation; chlamydia that causes genital infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia; helicobacter pylori that causes stomach ulcers; and gram positive organisms causing anthrax, gastroenteritis, botulism and tetanus.

Other benefits that can be derived from VCNO are: reduction of risk of cancer, asthma & diabetes; prevention of platelet stickiness that causes clotting. VCNO also inhibits osteoporosis and heals damaged tissues of the skin and prevents its premature aging. VCNO also eases eczema and alleviates minor skin ailments and eases tension among others. VCNO is said to also be a probable cure for SARS.

With all these attributes, plus the many uses of both its trunk and fruits, the coconut is indeed the "tree of life."