Fact check: Is coconut oil helpful in battle against COVID-19

New Delhi, July 06: There is a debate whether coconut oil can help in the fight against COVID-19.

The Journal of Association of Physicians carried a review on coconut oil, in which it focused on its immunomodulation benefits and its ability to act against microbes.

Coconut oil has lauric acid, which can be easily synthesised by the body. Indians consume a lot of saturated fatty acids, especially ghee, which is the right source of fats needed for the body's metabolism, Dr. Shashank Joshi, one of the main authors of the papers told the Times of India.

He also said that COVID-19 was not the main reasons for conducting the review on coconut oil. It is a fact that the people from Kerala consume a lot of coconut oil and they have managed to fight COVID-19 well. The use of virgin coconut oil has increased in the United States because of its curative powers, Dr. Joshi also said in the report.

However, there is another argument that says that it is not known if the human body is able to absorb all the chemicals from coconut oil. Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties.

It has zinc, which is being given to COVID-19 patients to boost immunity. However it is unclear if the human body can absorb all the chemicals, some have argued.