Health from the Sun

Weighted Score: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (3 out of 10)

Price: $12-25

Capsule Size: 550mg

Capsule Count: 90, 180

Additives / Fillers: Vegetable cellulose, Magnesium stearate, silica 

Recommended Dosage: 2 Capsules Daily 

Website: http://www.healthfromthesun.com/monolaurin-1.html

Amazon Reviews: 

1,125 reviews. 4.5 average

Most critical review:

"There is something off about this product, I take higher dosages of this from other brands and no response like from this product... after I take this product my insides feel like they are on fire and my hands hurt (basically my body feels inflamed) the last time I had this response it was when I accidentally was eating GMO peanut butter on the daily. I personally would recommend people to run from this product there is something not right here."

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Skin breakouts, bad smell

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: Many reviewers complain about opened bottles, a bad smell to the product, outbreaks or other skin conditions.

Observations: Most economical Monolaurin capsule available on Amazon. The pills seem to be inconsistent and sometimes discolored. Some reviewers complained about little or no improvement.

Ecological Formulas

Weighted Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆ (6 out of 10)

Price: $21-29

Capsule Size: 300mg, 600mg

Capsule Count: 90

Additives / Fillers: Inosine, Magnesium Sterate, Gelatin

Recommended Dosage: 1-2 capsules with meals

Website: none

Amazon Reviews:

638 reviews, 4.6 average

Most critical review:

"It has INOSINE 7.5 mg in it. I should've checked before ordering. I looked up this ingredient and not a whole lot is known about it. Should be advertised as monolaurin WITH INOSINE. Not a happy customer. Like I said I should have checked but the monolaurin I used before was ONLY monolaurin and assumed (yes I know what assumed denotes) this was the same. Will definitely read the label when ordering ANOTHER BRAND."

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Increase in symptoms, stomach complications

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: Fluctuating prices. Capsule color and consistency seemed to change over time - some reviewers questioned the consistency or quality of the product. Some reported stomach issues, increased symptoms.

Observations: One of the more expensive options. Some capsules were not filled entirely. There is no customer service and no website to ask questions. Concerns regarding the additive ingredients - inosine and magnesium sterate. Magnesium Sterate is known to effect / slow the absorption of supplements and the capsules are not suitable for vegetarians.

Natural Cure Labs

Weighted Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9 out of 10)

Price: $23, $29

Capsule Size: 600mg, 800mg

Capsule Count: 100

Additives / Fillers: Organic Rice Flour 

Recommended Dosage: 2-6 capsules daily 

Website: https://www.naturalcurelabs.com/

Amazon Reviews: 

1,015 reviews, 4.6 average (600mg); 481 reviews, 4.7 average (800mg)

Most critical review (600mg):

"I asked the Amazon community about the size of these capsules. The people said they were average size caps. They are twice as large as any other capsules. I call these horse pills. So, I put the powder in applesauce like they said. The taste was a combination of soap and heavy perfume--totally horrible. I am a breast cancer survivor and smells and taste are very sensitive. So I cannot take these. Beware if you have a strong gag reflex and have a sensitive GI system."

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Headache, Herx Reaction

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: Many reviewers noticed health improvements. Several reviewers saw significant changes in the severity and duration of outbreaks. Some reviewers reported no outbreaks after just 8 weeks. 

Observations: Seems to be a premium / expensive option. Product appears to be thoroughly researched and the quality is high. The website is helpful and transparent. The capsule appears to be one of the only options available with no fillers. Quality is reported to be consistent and effective. It comes in an “Extra Strength” variant which no other brands offer.  

Inspired Nutrition

Weighted Score: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (4 out of 10)

Price: $49

Capsule Size: N/A (pellet format)

Capsule Count: N/A

Additives / Fillers: Monocaprin, Monomyristen, Monocaprylin, Glycerol

Recommended Dosage: 1 scoop per day

Website: https://www.inspirednutrition.com/?path=store/Ult-Monolaurin.html

Amazon Reviews: 

597 reviews, 4.7 average

Critical review:

"I took this product for 2 months straight, 2 whole scoops every day. I was hoping to reduce the concentration of the HSV-1 virus in my body which always tests high when I have my blood work done. Well, 2 months later and the results show it as still high (56.7, where anything over 1 is considered to be positive). Very disappointing. I'm glad to see all of these glowing reviews where people "feel" it helps them, but all I got was indigestion and no empirical proof this does anything"

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Allergies to glycerol, high fat/cholesterol count 

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: Some reviewers found the pellet format difficult or inconvenient to take. The pellets did not always fully dissolve so not sure how much was actually utilized by the body. Some modest health changes were observed.  

Some reviewers had indigestion, potentially from the elevated intake of glycerol. Some reviewers noticed that the pellet format was only successful when taken with meals or warm drinks, which may dilute the efficacy of the monolaurin. Some reviewers showed health improvements by 12 weeks. 

Observations: Concerns with an unbranded marketing site (‘Putting the Pieces Together’) which seems to be owned / operated by the brand. The product contains a number of additives including monocaprin, monomyristen, and monocaprylin.  

Lauricidin

Weighted Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6 out of 10)

Price: $45

Capsule Size: N/A (pellet format)

Capsule Count: N/A

Additives / Fillers: Glycerol, others?

Recommended Dosage: 1 scoop 2-3 times daily

Website: https://www.lauricidin.com/

Amazon Reviews:

2,447 reviews, 4.6 average

Most Critical Review:

I read all of the reviews here. Before I buy something, I research, research, research. The vegetable glycerol (glycerin), which is combined with the monolaurin to form the teardrop pellets, does has several side effects. If you read the side effects of using vegetable glycerol, you would see headaches, dizziness, digestive upset, and a few other issues. The glycerol may be the cause of these issues reported by some users, rather than "die off." I'm not a medical professional, but to me, it sounds possible that the problem might be with the vegetable glycerol. As for the product not being digested as some folks have reported, I'd make sure to take it with food as directed. It just makes sense. I'd take it with a full meal because your body will be busy digesting the meal along with the pellets. This might help some people. Again, I'm not a medical professional.

As for the efficacy of Lauricidin, I find that it's less effective than the monolaurin capsules by Health from the Sun. I'm not knocking Lauricdin because there are enough positive testimonies that it works for some folks. It just doesn't work that well for me. I purchased directly from Med-Chem Labs and will be returning one of the unopened jars of Lauricidin. I hope this product review helps those who are thinking about buying it.

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Rash, acne, extra calories and saturated fat, glycerol allergies

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: The pellet format proved difficult for some reviewers to take. The pellets are hard to swallow and are not completely dissolved in digestion (you can see the pellets in the toilet). Many reviewers saw improvements in health. It takes a while to build up to the recommended 2-3 scoops per day recommended dosage.

Observations: Claimed to be the "original" Monolaurin. The pellet format contains a lot of fat and glycerin which caused some reviewers stomach irritation. The pellets seem to be not completely digestible and reviewers noticed the pellets in the toilet after taking them, potentially making them not very effective.

Solaray

Weighted Score: ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (2 out of 10)

Price: $12

Capsule Size: 500mg

Capsule Count: 60

Additives / Filers: Vitamin C, Echinacea Purpureta, Echinacea Angustifolia, Astragalus, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Cellulose  

Recommended Dosage: 1 capsule 2 times a day

Website: None 

Amazon Reviews:

287 reviews. 4.7 average.

Most critical review:

"We recently bought these on Amazon to save a trip to the health food store. Although it was not a familiar brand, it seemed like it would be okay. Monolaurin is usually a white substance in capsules- I immediately noticed the "off" color of these. I dumped the bottle to inspect closer and found that they were different shades even within the bottle, and some actually appeared to have a wet, moldy looking appearance (inside the capsule). Not satisfied and would not recommend. Monolaurin is a great supplement- just buy a more reputable brand."

Review synopsis from individual testimonials:

Reviewer Reported Side Effects: Stomach aches, chemical smell

Reviewer Reported Results / Considerations: Low recommended dosage on the bottle. Users report many fillers /additives. The Vitamin C may have been a positive effect for boosting the immune system, but reviewers felt it was better taken as a separate supplement and not as part of the same capsule. 

Observations: The amount of monolaurin is relatively low compared to other brands. The formula contains many other ingredients.