Chronic Fatigue Syndrome vs. Epstein-Barr Virus vs. Mono
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr Virus, and Mono - what's the difference, and how can Monolaurin help?
Disclaimer: The research below is offered for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. See Terms & Conditions
Epstein-Barr Virus
EBV
What is the difference between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and infectious mononucleosis (Mono or Glandular fever)? All three can cause symptoms of weakness, fatigue, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, however each is different in its own way. We aim to separate these three conditions and help explain where Monolaurin may help.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
At the highest level, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a disorder characterized by a state of extreme fatigue that persists for more than 6 months and has (seemingly) no underlying medical condition. The cause of CFS is unknown, but because some people develop chronic fatigue syndrome after having a viral infection, researchers think some viruses might trigger the disorder. An Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection can lead to a state of chronic fatigue, but may not be the cause of CFS. Because CFS affects people in different ways, treatment is typically tailored for their symptoms.
Epstein-Barr Virus:
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is part of the herpes family of viruses and is extremely common. Most people who are exposed to EBV, especially during adolescence, acquire the infection that quickly becomes dormant. EBV can also cause symptoms of fatigue, fever, sore throat, and swollen nodes, some of which are similar to CFS. Once infected with EBV, the virus becomes latent (inactive) in your body and in some cases may reactivate. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for EBV.
Infectious Mononucleosis (“Mono” or Glandular Fever):
Mono (or Glandular fever) also causes symptoms of extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat, body aches, swollen nodes, etc. The most common virus to cause Mono is Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), but other viruses can also cause the disease. Similar to EBV, once you contract Mono you will always carry the virus which may become active later. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Mono.
Addressing
Chronic Fatigue
Literature Review: Enveloped Viruses and EBV
The common thread among the three conditions appears to be Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). EBV clearly causes many of the symptoms associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Mono, and in some cases can directly contribute to the condition (as is the case with Mono).
Because EBV is an enveloped herpes family virus, literature suggests there might be a connection between select dietary supplements shown to inactivate enveloped viruses in laboratory studies. Monolaurin is a dietary supplement which has been the subject of a variety of studies which purport the ability to inactivate enveloped herpes viruses in vitro. Monolaurin, a medium chain fatty acid found naturally in coconut and palm oils, has been shown in the lab to disable enveloped and herpes family viruses, possibly including EBV [Ref #1, 2].
"Medium-chain saturated and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, were all highly active against the enveloped viruses, although the fatty acid concentration required for maximum viral inactivation varied by as much as 20-fold. Monoglycerides of these fatty acids were also highly antiviral, in some instances at a concentration 10 times lower than that of the free fatty acids.” [Ref #3]
Learn more about other monolaurin studies and examples in the Essential Guide to Monolaurin.
In some studies, monolaurin appears to disrupt the lipid bilayer of a virus thus preventing attachment to susceptible host cells. Research suggests monolaurin inhibits the replication of viruses by interrupting the binding of virus to host cells and prevents uncoating of viruses necessary for replication and infection.
“The antiviral action, attributed to monolaurin (the monoglyceride of lauric acid), is that of solubilizing the lipids and phospholipids in the envelope of the pathogenic organisms causing the disintegration of their outer membrane. There is also evidence that medium chain fatty acids interfere with the organism’s signal transduction and the antimicrobial effect in viruses is due to interference with virus assembly and viral maturation.” [Ref #7]
Research further suggests monolaurin may remove measurable infectivity by directly disintegrating the viral envelope, and monolaurin binding to the viral envelope potentially makes a virus more susceptible to host defenses (eg, your natural immune system) [Ref #1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
“Antiviral fatty acids were found to affect the viral envelope, causing leakage and at higher concentrations, a complete disintegration of the envelope and the viral particles. They also caused disintegration of the plasma membranes of tissue culture cells resulting in cell lysis and death" [Ref #3]
Other Considerations
Those suffering from EBV may consider the observations by John W. Hill in his book "Natural Treatments for Genital Herpes, Cold Sores and Shingles: A Review of the Scientific and Medical Literature". Here, monolaurin is explored and recommended for its potential immune regulating properties. [Ref #6]
“Of the saturated fatty acids, lauric acid has greater antiviral activity than either caprylic acid or myristic acid. It has been reported that monolaurin is more effective in inactivating viruses and other ineffective agents than lauric acid … Monolaurin is a glyceride ester derivative of lauric acid; and activated form of lauric acid. Monolaurin dissolved the lipids and phospholipids in the envelope of the virus causing the disintegration of the virus envelope effectively lysing the plasma membrane. There is also evidence that signal transduction is also interfered with, inhibiting the multiplication of the virus. Some of the viruses inactivated by these lipids are measles virus, herpes cimplex virus-1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), visna virus, and cytomegalorvirus (CMV)” [Ref #6]
If this is your first time considering monolaurin as a dietary supplement, be sure to note some of the important considerations when selecting your first monolaurin product in the Buying Guide.
Any new treatment should always be under the guidance and supervision of a health care professional.
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Looking to try monolaurin? Consider some of the products located on this external site: Shop Monolaurin.
References:
Lieberman, S. Antiviral Intervention for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. Feb/March 2014, P75.
Lieberman S, Enig MG, Preuss HG. A Review of Monolaurin and Lauric Acid Natural Virucidal and Bactericidal Agents. Alternative & Complimentary Therapies, December 2006. 12(6): 310-314.
Thormar H, Isaacs CE, Kim KS, Brown HR. Inactivation of visna virus and other enveloped viruses by free fatty acids and monoglycerides. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 1994 June 6, 724:465–471.
Sands J, Auperin D, Snipes W. Extreme sensitivity of enveloped viruses, including Herpes Simplex, to long chain unsaturated monoglycerides and alcohols. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 15; 1:67-73, 1979.
Isaacs CE and Schneidman K. (1991) Enveloped viruses in human and bovine milk are inactivated by added fatty acids (FAs) and monoglycerides (MGs). J FASEB 5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Hill, J. Natural Treatments for Genital Herpes, Cold Sores and Shingles: A Review of the Scientific and Medical Literature. Clear Springs Press; 2nd edition (January 7, 2012)
Arora, R., Chawla, R., & Arora, P. (2010, October 13). Potential of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Preventive Management of Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Pandemic: Thwarting Potential Disasters in the Bud. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957173/