7/30/2019 Nutrition for AIDS

1/3

FEATURE

28 NOV/DEC 2010 OH!

cquired immunodeciency syndrome(AIDS) is a health condition where the

immune system is compromised and the patient isunable to fight o inections. AIDS is an extremely

complex disorder without any cure currently.

While the search or a cure continues, currentmedical practice aims to reduce the progression o

the disease. Some o this may also be possible withnutritional change and supplements recommendedby health proessionals.

In act, nutrition intervention should take a high

priority rom the moment an individual receives apositive diagnosis for the human immunodeciencyvirus (HIV) infection. The initial nutrition assessmentevaluates the individuals current nutrition status

and establishes baseline parameters rom which tomonitor changes.

Nutrition therapy may be most eective in the earlystage of HIV infection when reduced food intake

is more likely to lead to malnutrition rather thanin the later stages, when repeated inections andhypermetabolism quickly deplete nutrient stores.

Clinicians can begin to encourage gradualimprovement in eating habits beore the personbecomes debilitated and the task o keeping onessel adequately nourished becomes monumental.

Weight watchMost AIDS patients lose weight or suer romdiarrhoea which can be severe and unresponsive

to drug therapy.

A

Nutrition for the

AIDS patientby Dr Leow Chee Seng, Regional Director of British Institute of Homeopathy

From the moment an individual is diagnosed positive for HIV infection, nutritionalintervention should be among the highest priority steps to be taken for optimal

effectiveness in the ght for life.

7/30/2019 Nutrition for AIDS

2/3

NOV/DEC 2010 OH! 29

FEATURE

Weight maintenance is the rst strategy in

nutrition therapy. A high protein and calorie diet is

able to achieve this strategy. Patients should also

consume whole oods instead o processed oods

as whole oods contain higher quantity o vitamins

and minerals.

HIV infection patients tend to suer from multiple

nutritional deciencies. In practice, a 500-calorie

per day caloric supplement with atty acids,

multivitamins and minerals was ound to be o no

help in increasing body weight beyond that oered

by a multivitamin-mineral supplement alone.

In the early stage of detection, HIV positive patients

are suggested to ollow immune-enhancingormulas that include omega-3 atty acids, arginine,

and nucleotides. Also, hydrolysed protein and sh

oil may help prevent weight lost and reduce the

requency o hospitalisation in the early stages o

HIV infection.

Some HIV patients undergo enteropathy (protein

loss) where the weight loss is due to chronic

diarrhoea and abnormal intestine unction.

Clinically, HIV patients are given gluten-free diets

that containing ood to reduce the episodes odiarrhoea. With control o chronic diarrhoea, the

patients are able to gain weight during the gluten-

ree periods.

Lifestyle change

Most HIV patients tend to lose strength and lean

body mass. Anabolic steroids are used to address

this complication. Hence, in nutrition counselling,

we always suggest the patient should undergo

progressive resistance training such as weight

training to substitute the drug therapy.

Patients should have resistance training about three

times per week or eight weeks to increase their lean

body mass. Not only that, research has proven that

such training three to our times per week is able to

slow down the progression towards death.

Nutritional supplementsGenerally, AIDS patient oten have multiple

nutritional deciencies and as such, a broad-

spectrum nutritional supplement may be benecial.

It is clinically proven that patients consuming

multivitamin-mineral supplements had slower

onset o AIDS.

Selenium deciency also increases mortality among

HIV-positive people. Selenium supplement is able

to reduce rate o inection, allow better intestinal

unction, improve appetite and heart unction.Patients with HIV-related cardiomyopathy (heart

abnormalities) should take 800mg o selenium or

15 days, ollowed by 400mg per day or eight days.

7/30/2019 Nutrition for AIDS

3/3

FEATURE

Besides selenium, the amino acid, N-acetyl cysteine

(NAC) is able to inhibit the replication o the HIV

virus. One research has ound the supplementing o

a patients diet with 800mg per day o NAC slowed

the rate o decline in immune unction in people

with HIV inection.

Then, the combination o glutamine, arginine and

amino acid derivative, hyroxymethylbutyrate has

been ound to prevent loss o lean body mass in

people with AIDS.

Further, vitamin A deciency is common among

people with HIV inection. Decrease o blood level

vitamin A increases the diseases severity and

increases the risk o transmission o the virus roma pregnant mother to her inant.

Vitamin A supplements are helpul at halting the

disease progression. HIV-positive children given

two consecutive oral supplements o vitamin A (20

000 IU), coupled with inuenza vaccination are able

to display a decrease in their bodies viral load.

B-complex vitamin supplements can also help delay

progression to death rom AIDS. Thiamine (B1)

deciency has been identied in nearly one-quartero people with AIDS. The deciency contributes to

neurological abnormalities.

Vitamin B6 deciency was associated with

decreased immune unction among HIV patients.

Besides, supplements o vitamin B6, B12 and olic

acid are needed among HIV patients.

Vitamin C has been proven to inhibit HIV

replication and a reduced risk o progression

to AIDS. The amount used ranges rom

40g to 185g per day and such high dosage

supplementation has to be monitored by a

medical ofcer. This amount is used to

treat herpes simplex outbreak and Kaposis

sarcoma among AIDS patients.

Then, vitamin E enhances the efectiveness

o the anti-HIV drug zidovudine (AZT) while

reducing toxicity. Zinc supplementation can also

protect against AZT toxicity.

The blood level o the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)is low in people with HIV inection. In a clinical

trial, people with HIV inection took 200mg

per day o CoQ10 and it ound that 83% o

them experienced no urther inection up to

seven months and the counts o inection-ghting

white blood cells improved in three cases.

Also, taking iron supplements can help our body

ght against bacterial inection and improve the

immune response system.

It is important to note that there are many

types o herbs which may be helpul to HIV-

inected patients. Some o the common herbs

include andrographis, St Johns wort, garlic,

licorice, turmeric, Asian ginseng, echinacea, maitake,

reishim shiitake, tea tree oil and others. OH!

30 NOV/DEC 2010 OH!