Illustration of coconut oil(Photo: rodrigobark, Getty Images / iStock)

According to a bulletin from the US Department of Agriculture, compounds derived from coconut oil repel some insects better than DEET, a synthetic chemical considered the "standard reference" for repellents. published Wednesday.

The release highlights a study by researchers from the USDA and published Sept. 19 in the journal Scientific Reports. The study found that fatty acids derived from coconut oil had repellent properties against long-lasting insects against flies, ticks, bedbugs and mosquitoes.

Senior researcher, Junwei Zhu, notes that compounds extracted from coconut oil – and not from the oil itself – have been discovered as effective repellents, according to a USDA statement.

"The coconut oil itself is not a repellent," the statement said.

The results are significant in part because of safety concerns associated with DEET, a chemical used for the first time as an insect repellent by the military during the Second World War, the study said.

"DEET is an effective repellent, but it can sometimes have serious side effects such as rashes, disorientation and even seizures, so our experts recommend avoiding products containing more than 30% DEET ", said Theresa Panetta of Consumer Reports in 2015. report.

But Panetta at that time had few alternatives to offer, claiming that many "natural and herbal repellents were not very effective at all" during the tests.

Zhu's study indicates that many natural repellents quickly lose their effect on insects.

This was not the case for coconut oil compounds, according to Zhu's research.

According to the USDA release, coconut oil compounds outperformed DEET preformed to repel stable flies, with an effective rate greater than 95%, compared to 50% for DEET.

The release says that coconut oil compounds have repelled bed bugs and ticks for two weeks, compared with the three days of DEET effectiveness.

However, the study indicates that a much higher concentration of acids in coconut oil is needed to effectively repel mosquitoes compared to DEET.

The authors of the study hope that the research will lead to the development of insect repellent products based on coconut oil to fight against mosquito-borne diseases. The study notes the existing commercial applications of coconut oil: "Coconut fatty acids are considered non-toxic and are widely used in the food and cosmetics industries".

The study also indicates that the results could generate affordable agricultural products for livestock.

A major manufacturer of DEET did not immediately respond to a request for comments made by the United States for today on the study.

Coconut oil has made headlines, with some researchers being vocal about the so-called health benefits of weight loss oil. A Harvard professor went so far as to describe the oil as "pure poison".

Contributor: KTHV-TV, Little Rock, Ark.

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