Virgin Coconut Oil eyed by DOST as possible COVID-19 treatment

THE DEPARTMENT  of Science and Technology (DOST XI) is prioritizing innovative approaches in dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the DOST is currently funding the research and development of possible health solutions to the current pandemic.   

That is why the innovation that the Regional Director for DOST XI Dr. Anthony Sales highlighted is the PCHRD DOST-funded research on the use of virgin coconut oil (VCO) to aide in boosting an individual’s immune system and to possibly provide a cure to COVID-19.  

“I’m quite excited about the status of the project that we funded to really ascertain the efficacy of virgin coconut oil against COVID … ang objective nito (research) is to really see the mechanism of papaano nagiging effective ang VCO against the virus (…the objective of this (research) is to really see how effective VCO is against the virus),” Dr. Sales said.

The said project is a collaborative effort between PCHRD DOST, Dr. Fabian Dayrit of Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) and the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. Based on existing data taken from previous studies, further research on VCO as an innovative solution to COVID-19 shows promise in the treatment COVID-19 cases.

“May tatlong mechanism silang tinitingnan, kasi ang VCO daw, based on previous studies, have shown to decay yung cellular coating of the virus kasi pag nasira kasi yung cellular coating niya, eh syempre lalabas yung components ng virus at mamatay siya. Pangalawa it inhibits yung pag dami ng virus, and then the third mechanism is yung pag attach ng virus sa cells ng ating katawan – kasi pag na prevent mo yun eh syempre hindi ka na mainfect (There are three mechanisms that they (researchers) are looking into since VCO, based on previous studies, have shown to decay the cellular coating of the virus and when that happens its components will be exposed leading to the destruction of the virus.

The second mechanism is that it inhibits the reproduction of the virus and while the third mechanism is how it (VCO) affects the capability of the virus to attach itself to the cells of our bodies – since if you prevent the virus from attaching itself then you won’t get infected),” Dr. Sales said. (By Kevin Caro)