About 50 percent of the saturated fatty acids found in coconut milk are lauric acids, building blocks of the plucky, disease-fighting monolaurin glyceride. Antibacterial, antiviral, and possesing other antimicrobial effects, monolaurin tears away a protective lipid covering, binds itself to the protein and shuts it down. It isn't pretty. Monolaurin also inhibits over-eager bacteria by throwing a wrench into the DNA-transference phase. E. Coli, candida, staph...microbial troublemakers are upset about coconut milk powder, for good reason.