[pronut-hiv] Nutrition and HIV

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

Nutrition and HIV
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As requested....
I have taken an excerpt from our book Positive Health, where we look at what a person with little or no resources can do to ensure proper immune
function.
If anyone would like a copy, please email me at drp@mweb.co.za and we'll get a copy out to you. There is no cost for individual copies.


Nutrition and HIV
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What you eat makes a major difference in whether you body is able to keep
HIV under control. There is also a large range of specific foods which have
these effects, some with side-effects, and some without. We will focus only
on those foods which are easy to obtain, and with no negative health
side-effects.

Until recent years,  we did not understand the immune system very well. It
was assumed that if you strengthen the immune system, all would be ok.
However, it is now clear that 'boosting the immune system' can lead to
disaster, if you 'boost' the wrong part of it! There are essentially two
'arms' of the immune system: The TH1 and TH2 systems. The TH1 system
controls things such as viruses and cancer cells, while the TH2 system
controls bacteria, parasites, and fungi.  If you strengthen one of these two
'arms', the other gets weaker, much like a see-saw effect.

HIV is controlled primarily through the TH1 system (Cellular Immunity).
Therefore, when taking 'immune boosting' herbs, it is possible that this
strengthens the TH2 system, and possibly weakening the TH1 system, leading to a more rapid growth of HIV.  This is the case with Echinacea, which is wonderful for short-term use if you have a bacterial infection, but it is unwise for HIV-positive people to use it for more than 2 weeks at a time.
Other plant-derived compounds, such as that derived from the African Potato (Hypoxis), strengthen the TH1 system, which is what is required in
HIV-infection. 
Specific minerals and vitamins have a powerful effect on the strengthen of the immune system, and some even have a direct effect upon HIV itself. Most of these are called 'antioxidants' - selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, for
example. Studies have shown that Selenium can produce dramatic differences in the length of time that a person remains merely HIV-positive, versus progressing to full-blown AIDS. In one study - at Miami University - it was found that those HIV-positive people who do not have enough selenium in their diet, progress to AIDS 19.9 times faster than those HIV-positive people who have enough selenium in their diets.

Where do you get selenium? There are very few foods that contain selenium.
Pronutro cereal (South African version) contains exactly the right amount of
selenium, per serving.  Other sources include Brazil nuts - one per day.
Alternatively, selenium can be purchased from a pharmacy. The required
dosage per day - for adults - is 75 to 200 mcg per day. Selenium is best
taken with Vitamin E, which helps the body absorb the selenium.

People with HIV have a chronic infection. This means that their nutritional
needs are higher than the average HIV-negative person. They need to eat more than other people - 6 small meals per day is suggested - and keep their
body-weight up. One of the most common causes of death in AIDS is called
Wasting Syndrome, caused by a dramatic loss of muscle tissue.

However, it is common to find that, even if you eat a lot of food, your
stomach does not absorb it. This is especially true for people who have
chronic diarrhoea already, and who are losing weight. There are two things
you can eat to help with this, as it may be caused by internal fungal
infections (such as Thrush), or parasites.  Garlic - about six raw cloves a
day, helps to kill the fungal infections, and eating a handful of pumpkin
seeds helps to kill stomach parasites. If you also eat pectin-rich foods,
such as apples, this helps your stomach to absorb your food properly.
Stomach problems are dangerous when you have HIV - do not hesitate to see a doctor if you have a running stomach.

The most important foods to avoid if you have HIV is sugar. Sugar encourages fungal infections, such as Thrush. If you consume up to 20 teaspoons of sugar - including the sugar you take in your tea, cakes, sweets, cool drinks, etc - it can cut your T-cell count in half.  If you cannot eliminate sugar from your diet, try to keep it as low as possible.

Starches - such as mealie meal - are very important to keep your energy
levels high. HIV grows faster in people with low energy levels (e.g., cold
hands and feet) because your immune system works better with heat.
Starches should be eaten in the morning, so that you have energy throughout the whole day.

Fresh vegetables are a wonderful source of minerals and vitamins. Frozen
vegetables are just as good, as they are picked fresh, and then frozen
immediately. Canned vegetables often have lower levels of vitamins and
minerals. Do not over-cook or boil your vegetables (except root vegetables
like potatoes). This destroys many vitamins. Rather steam them, or cook them so that they are still crunchy and crisp when you eat them.

Protein - meat, fish, beans - are essential to keep your body weight up. If
you cannot afford meat every day, then eat beans instead, plus one
tablespoon of uncooked sunflower oil.

Raw carrots are excellent for HIV-positive people. They contain a vitamin
called Beta Carotene, which weakens HIV, and strengthens the immune system.

--
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