[pronut-hiv] More on Sugar and HIV

["David Patient" <drp@mweb.co.za>]

More on Sugar and HIV
?-----------------------------------


Sugar is basically poison to people like us, living with HIV. Although there
is not a lot of research around the issue, save what commentary I have made
below, that which does exist is compelling and warrant more investigation
and research.
Aside from any research, experiences counts for a whole lot more at the end
of the day and our collective experience clearly indicates a direct link
between the consumption of refined sugar and it's over all effect on the
infected. Hundreds of people have passed through my life in the 20 years
I've been infected and everyone with Thrush, without exception, cut down/orout, their sugar intake and as a result, were able to make a difference in their infection. I, like most people, love sweet stuff. I'm a sucker for candy and ice-cream, yet I know that if I indulge, the next day, I will have
an outbreak of Thrush. So not only is my experience first hand and second
hand if you will, it's researched. [Please read my Sugar posting on this
forum]
Quite honestly, I am tired of the so called experts questioning the links.
They exist. Please read on.

Yeast infections are probably one of the most common of all infection
affecting those of us living with HIV. Fact.

Thrush or Candida is a yeast-based infection. Fact.

Yeast infections can be potentially life threatening, depending on their
locations and if it remains untreated. Fact.

So far I hope we can all nod in agreement?

In baking, to activate yeast, you need to add sugar and a little warm water
and this will activate the dormant yeast. The combination of the warmth of
the water and the glucose in the sugar bring yeast to life.

While the yeast in my body is not the same as the brands we bake with, it's
part of the Yeast family, and responds in our bodies much the same way. Now, once again, what I writing here is common knowledge in people who are even remotely current in medical and non-medical treatments for the infected population.

So to recommend sugar to somebody who is plagued with yeast infection is not sound advice. In fact, that would be cruel in the extreme as many of the
yeast infections take place in the intestinal track and once the yeast
spreads, it coats the stomach/intestinal wall and no food is absorbed,
causing further weight loss and malnutrition. And it becomes a spiral from
there on in.

Sugar is not only a yeast stimulant in HIV infection. Oh no.there's more.

Sugar also has a negative impact on people who are taking the HIV
medications, as many of the medications cause elevated blood sugar and now we want to start adding more sugar to their systems, due to redundant
information from the D.O.H? I think not! The consequences are too severe.
The researched interaction of the medications and blood sugars is well
documented, very topical and has been for the past three or four years. It
is unfortunate that the Sugar Lobby and the Department of Health haven't
kept up with the rest of us in HIV. Sugar and glucose are one of the main
focuses in HIV medication research. There is even a body of research that
shows how a 'sugar chain reaction' facilitates the infection of HIV into it'
s host cell and that glucose is directly involved in the ability of HIV to
infect the host cell. The more sugar in your body, the more your blood sugar
levels soar.shall I go on?

Glucose is sugar. It is broken down in the cells to provide energy. Blood
sugar increases after you eat or drink anything besides water. Imagine what
your levels do after consuming a cup of sugar a day..five cups of
tea/coffee, a soda, couple, a candy bar and slice of cake. It's pretty easy
to make up a cup of sugar in your daily eating habits.

Researchers are currently scrambling to find a family of drugs that do not
create what is being called Protease Belly (lipodystrophy). The gaining a
lot of weight around you middle and losing fat in your face, arms and legs.
Women tend to gain a lot of weight in their breasts and both sexes report
fatty deposits in unusual locations.

Another couple of common side effects, directly related to Glucose are high
Triglycerides and Cholesterol in the blood. Many people on HIV medications
have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are fats that float
around in your blood. This puts you at higher risk of getting a heart attack
or stroke.

Now if this happened in only a handful of people, I'd tell myself to shut up
and sit down. However around 30-40% of ALL people taking these medications develop these symptoms and HIV related diabetes is showing up at an
alarming rate in the medicated populations worldwide. Maybe it's a blessing
in disguise we don't have blanket distribution of the medications because of
the huge amount of sugar we consume daily. One of the research documents claimed that the average Southern African consumes 22 kg of refined sugar
each year.


David Patient

PWA







?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucy Kinanu wrote:

I am nutritionist working with PLWHA. Someone told
me  that PLWHA should not take sugar? Is it true? and if
it's true what is the explanation?



--
ProNut-HIV is a collaboration between SATELLIFE and the Academy for
Educational Development (AED).

To send a message to ProNut-HIV, write to: pronut-hiv@usa.healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@usa.healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe pronut-hiv OR unsubscribe
pronut-hiv
To contact a person, send a message to: pronut-hiv-help@usa.healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.pronutrition.org