PCA needs researchers for VCO study

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Coconut Authority Administrator Oscar G. Garin said the PCA is now conducting a definitive clinical and medical study on the beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil and coconut cooking oil to human health and cholesterol. 

He is inviting all clinical and medical researchers to participate in this undertaking to ensure its success and worldwide acceptability of the research findings. Garin said adequate funds have been earmarked for this purpose.

Touted as the “mother of all coconut researches”, Garin said the study aims to prove all the inspiring anecdotal stories on the goodness of coconut with solid medical evidences to once and for all erase any remaining doubts entertained by cynics.

“Nine years after the market launch of the virgin coconut oil, what we have secured so far is a rapidly growing market which gives credence to the health enhancing capabilities of the product as spread by personal testimonies and anecdotal stories of people from around the world,” Garin noted. 

“Without a solid clinical and medical study on our hand, we may not hold a secure and sustainable future for the virgin coconut oil and other coconut-based food products,” Garin said as he recalled how the coconut industry was once discredited by its adversaries who waged a campaign claiming that coconut oil is bad for the human health.

“We went down, the industry suffered badly such that it was once considered a sunset industry,” the administrator continued.  “And it is by the unwavering support of people around the world who kept their faith on coconut that enabled the industry to rise up again,” he added.

Garin noted that there are numerous testimonial and anecdotal stories attesting to the beneficial effects of coconut oil as neutral to heart and vascular diseases, curative of HIV/AIDS, antimicrobial, similar to mother’s milk, and as the healthiest oil on earth which altogether helped turn the tide for the coconut industry.  “However these stories still need a definitive clinical study to once and for all establish that indeed virgin coconut oil and coconut cooking oil are beneficial to body cholesterol.”

The administrator concluded that with a solid medical and clinical study on hand and known to the world, there will be a tremendous increase in world demand for virgin coconut oil, coconut cooking oil and all other coconut-based food products thereby providing a most promising area of opportunity for wealth generation for coconut farmers and all Filipinos.