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Traveler’s Diarrhea

Traveler’s diarrhea, or traveler’s tummy, is a disorder that affects the digestive tract. [Ref #1] There are numerous bacteria responsible for the illness: well-known E.coli and Salmonella spp. And then there are lesser known but equally treacherous ones such as Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni. The infections from these bacteria cause similar symptoms including abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and occasionally fever. The primary causes of these illnesses are contaminated water or meat, raw or undercooked animal products, and unclean raw produce. [Ref #2]

There are several methods of prevention. Firstly, always be conscious of food and drink, even if it seems like other people are consuming it. Traveler’s tummy will generally resolve within one to two days on its own. However, it is time to see a doctor if your symptoms persist more than two days, you’re dehydrated, or you have a fever over 102 degrees. [Ref #1]

Introduction to Monolaurin and Lauric Acid

In addition to caution as a preventative measure, there have been some interesting discoveries around a substance called monolaurin. Monolaurin is a medium-chain fatty acid that is formed from lauric acid. It occurs naturally in coconut oil and mother’s breast milk but can also be taken as a dietary supplement as it possesses a wide range of possible health benefits. [Ref #3]

Antibacterial Properties

Studies suggest Monolaurin may possess antibacterial properties inb lab settings. In fact, “The antibacterial activity of GML (Glycerol Monolaurate - otherwise known as Monolaurin) in vitro is well documented. In broths, a nutrient-rich substrate inoculated with pathogens, GML is effective against a wide range of gram-positive, gram-negative, and acid-fast organisms.” [Ref #4] As all of the above pathogens causing traveler’s tummy are bacteria, monolaurin’s antibacterial properties are important. There have been studies focusing specifically on monolaurin’s effect on each of the digestion problem-causing bacteria below.

Monolaurin and E. coli

Escherichia coli or more commonly, E. coli, is a bacterium that has come up a lot over the years. Monolaurin has been effective at inhibiting this pathogen and some scientists say that it could be used as a new natural preservative replacing the chemical additives that people currently rely on.

“We have shown that monolaurin has antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in produced cheese. Thus, use of monolaurin as natural antibacterial substance may be a proper replacement for chemical preservatives.” [Ref #5]
“A monolaurin microemulsion system inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium digitatum, and will be regarded as a “natural” antimicrobial preservative.” [Ref #6]
“Escherichia coli had progressively less dense colony growths at increasing monolaurin concentrations, and at 20 mg/ml was less dense than the control.” [Ref #7]

Monolaurin and C. jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni is “the most frequently diagnosed bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the United States”. [Ref #8] Fortunately, an experiment studying the bactericidal potential of monolaurin found that it is potent against C. jejuni.

“Monolaurin had a MIC value of..5000 mg/L against C. jejuni (Campy8DLIS D12-1). The lowest MIC value of monolaurin was 600 mg/L against C. jejuni (ATCC 33560)…G+ bacteria were highly susceptible to monolaurin at the concentration of 10 mg/L…” [Ref #9]

Monolaurin and C. perfringens

Another little-mentioned bacterium, Clostridium perfringens is a common culprit of food poisoning and causes around 1 million illnesses in the United States over the course of a year. [Ref #10] Monolaurin has demonstrated inhibitory potential against this pathogen as well. Out of a number of fatty acids, lauric acid proved the most effective.

“Strains CCM 4435 T and CNCTC 5459 of Cl. perfringens were inhibited by medium-chain fatty acids (C 8 to C 14... The minimum MICs were those of lauric and myristic acid (between 0.1 and 0.2 mg/ml). Growth of Cl. perfringens, but not other bacteria, was inhibited also by monoglyceride of lauric acid (MIC = 3 mg/ml)…” [Ref #11]

Monolaurin and Salmonella

In research, monolaurin was also effective against Salmonella, especially in a salt form where it actually displayed the potential to “reduce intestinal colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli and its ability to modulate colonic microbiota.” [Ref #12] Other experiments saw lauric acid impeding Salmonella.

“Monolaurin inhibited growth of 102, 104 or 106 cfu/ml of Salmonella sp. by 46%, 30%, or 34%, respectively at 250µg/ml; 37%, 36%, or 52% at 500µg/ml; 50%, 49%, or 55% at 1000µg/ml; 70%, 50%, or 63% at 2000 µg/ml; and 91%, 80%, or 65 % at 4000µg/ml.” [Ref #13]
“The results showed that lauric acid can inhibit (MIC) [ minimum inhibitory concentration] Salmonella sp., E. Coli, and Stafilococus aureus at concentrations of 3.13%...MKC [minimum kill concentration] lauric acid against Salmonella amounted to 3.13%, while E. coli and Staphilococus aureus 6.25%.” [Ref #14]

Conclusion

Traveler’s diarrhea is a nuisance and can, in extreme cases, be dangerous. Scientific research into monolaurin’s effects on traveler’s tummy are exciting, especially as it has the potential to be both a preventative substance and potential treatment.

Monolaurin Safety

As with all dietary supplements, monolaurin should be taken under the direction and supervision of a healthcare professional. Individuals are advised consult a medical professional to assist in the selection and use of dietary supplements.

Considering monolaurin but not sure where to start? Consider some of the information in the Buying Guide.

Looking to buy monolaurin? Check out some of the products listed on this external Shop Monolaurin website.

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References

“Traveler's Diarrhea.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 May 2019.
Switaj, T. L., Winter, K. J., & Christensen, S. R. (2015). Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne Illness. American family physician, 92(5), 358–365.
Ezigbo, Veronica O., Mbaegbu Emmanuella A. (2016). Extraction of Lauric Acid from Coconut Oil, Its Applications and Health Implications on Some Microorganisms. African Journal of Education, Science and Technology.
Barker, L. A., Bakkum, B. W., & Chapman, C. (2019). The Clinical Use of Monolaurin as a Dietary Supplement: A Review of the Literature. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 18(4), 305–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2019.02.004
Eshghjoo, S, et al. The Effects of Monolaurin on Ecoli O157:H7 Growth in Dairy Food Products. 4th International Conference on Medical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6 Oct. 2013.
Fu, X., Zhang, M., Huang, B., Liu, J., Hu, H. and Feng, F. (2009), Enhancement of Antimicrobial Activities by the Food-Grade Monolaurin Microemulsion System. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 32: 104-111. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4530.2007.00209.x
Carpo, B. G., Verallo-Rowell, V. M., & Kabara, J. (2007). Novel antibacterial activity of monolaurin compared with conventional antibiotics against organisms from skin infections: an in vitro study. Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD, 6(10), 991–998.
Altekruse, S. F., Stern, N. J., Fields, P. I., & Swerdlow, D. L. (1999). Campylobacter jejuni—An Emerging Foodborne Pathogen. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 5(1), 28-35. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0501.990104.
Kovanda, L., Zhang, W., Wei, X., Luo, J., Wu, X., Atwill, E. R., Vaessen, S., et al. (2019). In Vitro Antimicrobial Activities of Organic Acids and Their Derivatives on Several Species of Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria. Molecules, 24(20), 3770. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules24203770
“C. Perfringens.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 May 2021.
Skrivanova, E., Marounek, M., Benda, V., & Brezina, P. (2007). Susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Clostridium perfringens to organic acids and monolaurin. Veterinarni Medicina, 51(3), 81–88. https://doi.org/10.17221/5524-VETMED
López-Colom, P., Castillejos, L., Rodríguez-Sorrento, A., Puyalto, M., Mallo, J. J., & Martín-Orúe, S. M. (2019). Efficacy of medium-chain fatty acid salts distilled from coconut oil against two enteric pathogen challenges in weanling piglets. Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 10, 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0393-y
Mansour, E.O., Hinton Jr, A., Jackson, C.R., Reddy, G.P. (2008). Comparison of the effect of monolaurin on the growth and survival of Enterococcus and Salmonella [abstract]. Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases. Chicago, IL. P110(45P).
Su'i, Moh & Sumaryati, Enny & Prasetyo, Ricky & Eric, Dan. (2015). Anti Bacteria Activities of Lauric Acid from Coconut Endosperm (Hydolysed using lipase Endogeneus). Advances in Environmental Biology. 9. 45-49.

Monolaurin and Traveler’s Diarrhea