lauric acid

noun

lau·​ric acid ˈlȯr-ik- 

ˈlär-

: a crystalline fatty acid C₁₂H₂₄O₂ found especially in coconut oil and used chiefly in making soaps and esters

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Apples are full of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, while coconut oil provides lauric acid, which supports fat metabolism. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2022

Coconut oil contains a type of omega 9 fatty acid, lauric acid, which has several health advantages. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2022

It’s a natural oil processed from a coconut kernel, which contains lauric acid, a fatty acid that promotes and increases antimicrobial activity that helps reduce bacteria and other infections and conditions of the skin. —Deena Campbell, Allure, 4 Aug. 2021

Interestingly, lauric acid itself has also been purported to have health benefits. —Vasanti Malik, sun-sentinel.com, 19 Nov. 2019

However, large epidemiological studies have failed to report protective associations between lauric acid and cardiovascular disease. —Vasanti Malik, sun-sentinel.com, 19 Nov. 2019

However, the coconut oil found on most supermarket shelves contains mostly lauric acid, which is absorbed and metabolized more slowly than MCT. —Vasanti Malik, sun-sentinel.com, 19 Nov. 2019

The most common fat is lauric acid, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. —Yerin Kim, Seventeen, 3 June 2019

Well, actually, this lauric acid only makes up 50 percent of the fats found in coconut oil. —Yerin Kim, Seventeen, 3 June 2019

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Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin laurus

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

lauric acid

noun

lau·​ric acid ˌlȯr-ik-, ˌlär- 

: a crystalline fatty acid C₁₂H₂₄O₂ found especially in coconut oil and used in making soaps, esters, and lauryl alcohol

called also dodecanoic acid