COCONUT OIL: A NEW WEAPON AGAINST AIDS/fungal infections/chronic fatigue, oral c

[Guest guest]

COCONUT OIL: A NEW WEAPON AGAINST AIDS

Dr. Bruce Fife February 19, 2009

American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/91693

According to the World Health Organization, last year the total

number of people with HIV rose to reach its highest level ever. An

estimated 39.4 million people are currently living with the virus. In

the U.S. 40,000 new cases are reported each year.

The problem with treating HIV: unlike antibiotics that kill bacteria,

antiviral drugs can only reduce the severity of infections; they do

not eliminate them completely. To date, no drugs have been developed

that can effectively eradicate viruses and cure the illnesses they

cause.

HIV attacks and weakens the immune system. As the efficiency of the

immune system decreases, other viruses as well as bacteria and fungi

are able to take hold and infect the body. These secondary infections

are what cause most of the pain and discomfort and ultimately the

death of AIDS victims. For this reason, HIV patients are given drug

cocktails consisting of a mixture of antibiotics, antiviral and

antifungal agents. Anti-cancer drugs are usually included in the mix

because the weakened immune system often allows cancer to develop.

Adverse reactions and toxic side effects often result.

Over the years medical science has made great strides in AIDS

treatment. With the proper treatment and lifestyle choices, life

expectancy for HIV infected individuals has increased. Antiretroviral

drugs are able to slow down the progression of the disease. But for

the vast majority of HIV infected people drug therapy is not a viable

option. The cost to control the virus using standard HIV medications

for one person can easily amount to over $15,000 US a year. This is

far beyond the ability of most of those infected to pay.

Finding a safe and effective, yet affordable, treatment is the only

way to bring relief to the millions who suffer from HIV/AIDS.

Fortunately, researchers may have now found a potential solution to

this problem: coconut oil. Although coconut oil may appear to be an

unlikely hero, recent medical research shows that it holds great

promise in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Coconut oil is composed of a unique group of fats known as medium

chain triglycerides (MCT). When eaten, our bodies transform MCT into

medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and monoglycerides both of which

possess powerful antiviral properties. Knowledge of coconut oil´s

effect on HIV has been circulating in the AIDS community ever since

Icelandic researcher Halldor Thormar began publishing studies on this

topic in the early 1990s. Since then, HIV-infected individuals have

reported success lowering their viral loads and improving their

overall health by adding coconut oil or coconut products to their

diets.

AIDS victim Tony V., 38, is one of these success stories. Tony´s

experience lends hope to millions of AIDS sufferers worldwide.

Coconut oil changed his life and gave him newfound hope.

In the late 1990s Tony worked as a waiter and florist in Saudi

Arabia. It was here that he contracted the disease that altered his

life. Coming home to the Philippines in 2002, Tony was devastated to

learn that he was infected with HIV.

As time progressed, Tony´s health slowly deteriorated. Secondary

infections ravaged his body. By July 2003, mounting health problems

brought him to the hospital.

The drugs he was taking could not stop the progression of the

disease. His body was covered with fungal infections and skin

lesions, he was losing weight, had repeated bouts of vomiting and

diarrhea, accompanied by fever, chronic fatigue, oral candidiasis,

and various other infections including chronic pneumonia with a

persistent cough. Skin infections covered his head, face, and body.

His doctor told him he had full-blown AIDS and there was little hope

for recovery.

Unable to afford medication, he sought help from the Department of

Health. He was referred to Dr. Conrado Dayrit, the author of the

first clinical study on the healing effects of coconut oil on HIV

infected patients, which was conducted at the San Lazaro hospital in

the Philippines.

Dr. Dayrit told him about the healing virtues of coconut oil. Tony

was instructed to apply the oil to the sores and infections on his

skin three times a day and consume six tablespoonfuls daily. He began

the coconut oil regimen in earnest.

His progress was remarkable. His skin completely healed. The low-

grade fever and symptoms of pneumonia are now gone. Candidiasis gone.

Chronic fatigue gone. Diarrhea and vomiting gone. You couldn´t tell

by his appearance he had once been diagnosed with AIDS. Although Tony

may never be completely free from the virus, he can at least live a

more normal life and enjoy day-to-day activities .

The organization Keep Hope Alive has documented several cases in

which HIV/AIDS patients have reported marked improvement after

consuming coconut products. In some cases all evidence of the

infection were removed. For example, one man dropped his viral load

from 600,000 to non-detectable levels in 2 months by consuming a bowl

of coconut and cooked cereal every day along with eating a healthy

diet containing lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. He was not using

any antiviral drugs.

In a second case, a person with a viral load of 900,000 ate half a

coconut a day. After 4 weeks, his viral load dropped to around

350,000. After the second month, his viral load remained the same and

his doctor added the drug Crixivan to his protocol. After 4 weeks,

his viral load dropped to non-detectable levels. Unlike the first

case cited above, this person ate a typical American diet that

included ample amounts of junk food. His progress would have been

quicker with a better diet.

In another case, a man consumed a glass of coconut milk daily for 4

weeks. His viral load for HIV dropped from 30,000 to 7,000. Both his

CD4 and CD8 counts doubled. He used no antivirals.

The first clinical study using coconut on HIV patients was reported

by Conrado Dayrit, MD in 1999. In this study 14 HIV infected

individuals were given daily 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or a

coconut oil derived supplement. No other antivirals or treatment was

used. Six months later 60 percent of the participants showed

noticeable improvement. Improvement was measured by increased CD4

count, lowered viral load, and better overall health. This was the

first study to demonstrate in a clinical setting that coconut oil

does have an antiviral impact and could be used successfully to treat

HIV infected individuals.

The amount of coconut oil used is important. The higher the dosage

the more effective it is in deactivating the virus and other

pathogenic organisms. The participants in Dr. Dayrit´s study consumed

only 3½ tablespoons a day; Tony consumed 6 tablespoons. Case

histories of those who have used coconut oil with other therapies

indicate that diet and lifestyle are also important. Eating a healthy

diet and avoiding junk foods helps strengthen the immune system and

improves the success rate. An ample amount of coconut oil combined

with a healthy diet looks promising as a safe and affordable

treatment for HIV.

Since coconuts can grow in many of areas of the world where HIV is a

major health problem, coconut oil appears to be a feasible and

exciting solution to this worldwide epidemic.

Bruce Fife, ND is the director of the Coconut Research Center

(www.coconutresearchcenter.org) and author of the best-selling book

The Coconut Oil Miracle. His new book Coconut Cures includes several

HIV case studies.