Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Glyceryl monolaurate (GML), also known as monolaurin, is a naturally occurring fatty acid ester derived from lauric acid and glycerol. There is some scientific evidence supporting its antiviral properties, mainly from in vitro and animal studies. GML has been shown to disrupt the lipid membranes of certain enveloped viruses, inhibiting their ability to infect host cells. Studies have demonstrated antiviral activity against viruses such as HIV, herpes simplex virus, and some strains of influenza. The mechanism involves interference with viral envelope integrity and possible modulation of host immune responses. However, when it comes specifically to the common cold—primarily caused by rhinoviruses, which are non-enveloped—direct evidence for GML’s effectiveness is lacking. Most in vitro antiviral activity for GML is against enveloped viruses, not the non-enveloped viruses responsible for most cases of the common cold. There are very limited human clinical trials evaluating GML for prevention or treatment of colds or respiratory viral infections. Therefore, while there is some laboratory evidence suggesting GML has general antiviral properties, its specific efficacy for colds is not well established. Human clinical data are insufficient, so the evidence rating remains low (2/5). GML’s use for colds is based on extrapolation from its in vitro effects on other viruses, rather than direct proof of efficacy against the common cold.

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