A coconut-derived fat that punches holes in the membranes of certain bacteria, yeasts and coated viruses. Human evidence is thin and almost entirely local: gel in the nose, treated tampons, a vaginal gel. For the swallowed pellets that dominate the market, the honest description is untested rather than disproven. Recorded harms are mild and mostly local. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apolipoprotein B | < 80 mg/dL | Best single readout of the atherogenic particle burden the added lauric acid could raise |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol | < 100 mg/dL | Direct target of the saturated fat added by 3 g daily dosing |
| Absolute lymphocyte count | 1.5–3.0 × 10⁹/L | Cheapest available signal for the immune damping seen in human cell studies |
| hs-CRP | < 0.5 mg/L | Tracks whether the claimed anti-inflammatory effect appears, or the emulsifier effect does |
| Alanine aminotransferase | < 25 U/L (men), < 20 U/L (women) | Liver enzyme rises were among the recorded laboratory events in the vaginal gel trial |
| Fasting glucose | 75–90 mg/dL | Rodent data conflict on whether monolaurin helps or harms glucose handling |
| Nasal or lesion culture for Staphylococcus aureus | No established target value; track clearance against the individual's own pre-treatment culture | The only objective way to confirm the decolonisation benefit rather than infer it |
Cadence: Lipid panel and blood count at baseline, repeated at 12 weeks, then every 6–12 months while use continues at 3 g daily or above; cultures repeated 1 week after each topical course. At 1–2 g daily with normal baseline results, annual testing after the first 12-week check.