Does virgin coconut oil help relieve COVID-19 symptoms? Original paper

In this randomized controlled trial in participants with COVID-19, supplementing with virgin coconut oil did not result in a faster resolution of symptoms.

Whether supplementing with virgin coconut oil improves clinical outcomes in participants with COVID-19.

The outcomes assessed were the time to COVID-19 symptom resolution, blood lipids, fasting glucose, AST, ALT, and C-reactive protein (CRP).

76 participants (average age of 43; 54% men, 46% women) with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were admitted to a hospital in the Philippines.

In this 28-day randomized controlled trial, the participants supplemented with virgin coconut oil or nothing.

The dose of coconut oil was 0.6 mL per kg of body weight for the first 3 days, followed by 1.2 mL per kg of body weight for the rest of the study. The participants consumed coconut oil after meals, and coconut oil was used in the preparation of meals, which were provided by the hospital staff. In the control group, corn oil was used in the preparation of meals. The participants’ food intake was recorded daily by a registered dietitian.

COVID-19 symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, headache) were recorded daily. The rest of the outcomes were assessed at baseline, the midpoint of the study, and the end of the study.

The time to symptom relief did not significantly differ between groups.

The level of triglycerides was lower and the level of HDL-C was higher in the coconut oil group than in the control group at the midpoint and end of the study.

The Philippine Coconut Authority provided the coconut oil used in the study.