VCO offered in soft gel capsules

And now, here’s virgin coconut oil, to-go.

Virgin coconut oil — better known by its initials VCO — now not only comes in bottles but also in soft gel capsules, thanks to a local pharmaceutical firm.

Manufactured by Drugmakers Laboratories Inc. under the brand "Cogel", the soft gel capsules also does away with the extra effort of getting a spoon, opening the bottle and avoiding a spill — saving people a lot of time.

"With Cogel, VCO can now be taken more easily as the gel quickly melts once it comes in contact with saliva," Geraldine Ann Balao, managing director of Terramedic Inc., which markets Cogel. It is distributed by Metro Drug Inc.

Balao emphasized that Cogel went through the same "cold process" and has the same nutritional value as that of virgin coconut oil in liquid form.

Cold process is widely accepted as the best way to extract the oil from coconuts.

According to Dr. Teresita Espino, one of VCO’s early proponents, the cold press method — so-called because it does not involve using heat — preserves the oil’s antioxidants such as Eitamin E and lauric acid.

"Lauric acid from coco oil is antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the body to destroy lipid-coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza and various pathogenic bacteria. Applying heat is certainly not advisable as it results in oxidation, destroys nutrients and makes the product a radical, which can be harmful to the body," Espino said.

It is recommended that Cogel be taken at least twice a day for best results. It is now available in drugstores at around P7.50 per capsule.

Virgin coconut oil saw a boom in recent months as more and more Filipinos learned about and experienced its health benefits.