[pronut-hiv] Food sources of multivitamins

["George M. Carter" <fiar@verizon.net>]

Studies on the food sources of multivitamins
George M. Carter
---------------------

Lynde Francis at the Centre in Harare has been doing an ENORMOUS amount of good work with food.

They do use supplements too. I do not believe that even with full access to a wide array and supply of foods will people with HIV obtain adequate 
levels of many micronutrients. Multis are an inexpensive means to achieve 
that. Prior programs distributing iron (dumb for men) and iodine show that 
these types of programs can be done.

There just needs to be the political will and sense of urgency to do so. 
Multis can delay progression. They are life saving.

George M. Carter

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Stacia Nordin wrote:

>Has anyone seen any studies like this that used local foods instead of a
>supplement?  If not, are there any researchers out there willing to do a
>study using foods instead of pills?  Program managers base their work on 
>the research, so if the researchers only use pills, so will the program
>managers.  I realize that in research pills are more controllable, but in
>life it is easier to show people how to grow foods than pills!
>
>If researchers really wanted to do something that would have future impact 
>on better health, for the study they could take the local fruits,
>vegetables, oil seeds, legumes and nuts (as these are high in the 
>nutrients in the study below), make a powder, and add it to a side dish 
>where the study participants would come to eat once a day.  It could 
>easily be measured for the nutrient content and people would be seen eating it.
>
>Maybe someone has done it, I'd sure like to see it!
>
>Stacia Nordin, RD
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Judy Canahuati wrote:
> >
> > >Multivitamins for HIV-Infected Lactating Mothers Improves Children's
>Health NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 23 - A large African study has shown that
> > >multivitamin supplements given to lactating mothers with HIV infection
>can improve their children's health.
> > >In the May 12th issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Dr. Wafaie W.
>Fawzi
> > >of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues report the
> > >findings of a randomized trial of 1078 HIV-infected women in Tanzania who
> > >were given either vitamin A with beta carotene, a multivitamin containing
> > >vitamins B, C and E, or both supplements during pregnancy and lactation.
> > >Children of mothers who took multivitamins had a significantly lower risk
> > >of diarrhea during the first two years of life, and significantly higher
> > >mean CD4+ cell counts, than children of mothers who did not receive
> > >multivitamins, according to the article. On average, the CD4+ count was
> > >151 cells per microliter higher in children of women in the multivitamin
> > >arm than those in the no-multivitamin arm.
> > >The beneficial effects of the multivitamins appeared to be similar in
> > >children with or without HIV infection.
> > >Children of women who received vitamin A only had a reduced risk of cough
> > >with a rapid respiratory rate, which was considered a proxy for
>pneumonia.
> > >These children had no reduction in their risk for diarrhea and no
>increase
> > >in CD4+ cell counts, however.
> > >"To our knowledge, this is the first randomized study that has examined
> > >the effect of maternal multimicronutrient supplements on infant health,"
> > >the researchers write. They point out that in earlier studies,
> > >multivitamin supplements have had beneficial effects "on mortality and
> > >breast-feeding transmission of HIV-1 in subgroups of children at risk."
> > >"Provision of multivitamin supplements (including those with vitamins B,
>C
> > >and E) to HIV-infected, lactating women may be a low-cost intervention to
> > >improve their children's health," the investigators conclude.
> > >Clin Infect Dis 2003;36:1053-1062.
> >
> > Judy Canahuati
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