There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. The best preventive measures are safe sexual contacts and avoidance of contamination with others’ bodily fluids (mainly blood; transmission via sweat or saliva is extremely unlikely).

Anyone who is sexually active or has been in the past should have an HIV test done. This blood test can determine if the virus is present in the body, and steps can be taken to help prevent it from becoming AIDS. Due to its deadly nature, any HIV or AIDS treatments should always be overseen by a qualified health care professional.

A healthy diet is especially important when one is infected with HIV. Sudden and extreme weight loss is common with AIDS; high-protein foods and those with greater vitamin and mineral content are needed for the body to maintain function. Vitamin supplements are almost always needed, as the body rapidly becomes depleted of its stores of almost all vitamins and minerals.
In addition, the weakened immune system make it difficult to recover from any disease or illness which is encountered. Steps should be taken to make sure the body is as well prepared to deal with these as possible (see Immune Function Improvement for some suggestions).

The following supplements and herbs may help to ease some of the problems related to HIV:

Due to the multiple nutritional deficiencies often found with HIV, a broad-spectrum Multivitamin is almost always recommended. In cases where a Multivitamin is used to help restore the body’s natural levels of nutrients, HIV progression may be slowed.¹

Vitamin A is especially deficient in HIV patients, and low levels are often associated with more severe disease-related problems.² Low levels of Vitamin A also appear to make in utero transmission more likely.³ However, since high levels of Vitamin A supplementation can be dangerous during pregnancy, a doctor should be consulted. (Note also that taking Vitamin A does NOT prevent in utero transmission, and the difficulties related to pregnancy and HIV should be discussed with a health care professional before any attempts to become pregnant are made.)

Beta-Carotene is often low during the more advanced stages of HIV.⁵ This may be associated with a lower CD 4+ white blood cell count, one of the hallmarks of AIDS. Beta-Carotene is the preferred form of Vitamin A supplementation in HIV. Supplementation of 300,000 IU daily may help increase the number of CD4+ cells found (CD4+ cells are a type of white blood cells that are low in AIDS patients).⁶

Carnitine may be deficient in patients with HIV, as reduced levels are found in the blood and blood cells of these patients. Benefits of carnitine supplementation may include improvement of white blood cell function and diminishing the toxicity of AZT.⁴

Coenzyme Q10 is often low in patients with HIV. Supplementation appears to help with white blood cell production.⁷ Patients with heart problems should not stop a regimen of Coenzyme Q10 without consulting a doctor, as the sudden decrease can cause severe heart problems to develop.

Iron deficiency is extremely common in children with HIV.⁸ Due to the potential dangers of iron overdose, however, a medical professional should be consulted before supplementing, especially with children.

Lipoic Acid is an effective antioxidant that is effective against both water soluble and water insoluble free radicals. It appears to reduce the activity of reverse transcriptase, the enzyme responsible for manufacturing the HIV virus from the host cells. It also appears to increase glutathione levels.⁴

The amino acid N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC) appears to inhibit HIV replication in a laboratory setting.⁹ Supplementation appears to slow the decline of immune function in HIV patients. When used with Glutamine, it helps in the production of glutathione, an antioxidant which appears to be helpful in preventing infection in HIV patients.¹⁰

Selenium levels are often low in HIV patients.¹¹ Selenium deficiency causes depletion of glutathione peroxidase, an important antioxidant enzyme. Supplements have been associated with fewer infections, improved appetite, and better intestinal function in HIV-infected individuals.¹² Selenium status may be a major determinant of how fast HIV will progress to AIDS.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) deficiency occurs in at least one-quarter of HIV infected individuals.¹³ This may be responsible for some of the neurological problems often encountered by HIV patients.

Vitamin B6 status has been shown to be diminished in HIV-positive patients, and may correlate with a decrease in immune function.⁴

Vitamin B12 deficiency is seen in up to one third of all HIV-positive patients. This may in part be due to decreased absorption, diminished intake or antagonism by the drug AZT. Progression from HIV to AIDS as well as neurologic impairment may occur.⁴

In laboratories, Vitamin C has been found to inhibit HIV replication.¹⁴ With its antioxidant and immunity-enhancing abilities, Vitamin C is an excellent supplement for HIV patients, as it may help with disease resistance and overall well being.¹⁵ However there is some concern that doses greater than 1000 mg three times per day may impair lymphocyte function. ¹⁸

In test tubes, Vitamin E appears to improve the effectiveness of the HIV-inhibiting drug AZT.¹⁶

Zinc is often deficient with HIV.¹⁷ Supplements often reduce the number of infections acquired by AIDS patients.¹⁸

Many herbs have been studied in a laboratory setting and shown to be helpful in the treatment of HIV. However, not all of these have been as effective in treatment of patients.

Bitter Melon contains two proteins which are known to inhibit AIDS virus.¹⁹ Its effectiveness in humans has not been confirmed, however.

Bromelain a natural protease inhibitor, as well as other natural protease inhibitors, is actively being researched as a replacement for the current pharmaceutically derived protease inhibitors, with their attendant side effects.⁴

Garlic extract appears to help reduce both frequency of infections and the occurrence of diarrhea in AIDS patients.²⁰

Licorice inhibits HIV reproduction in a laboratory setting.²¹ Injected glycyrrhizin (extracted from Licorice) appears beneficial in AIDS treatment,²² as dose orally administered Licorice.²³ Patients with high blood pressure should consult a medical professional before supplementing with Licorice.

Tumeric (Curcumin) has been shown to inhibit several factors that allow HIV to replicate, is a powerful antioxidant, and has been shown to increace CD4+ counts in pts with HIV. It appears that the curcumin component of the spice tumeric is the active ingredient, and several studies are under way to assess it’s role in HIV support.⁴

References:

¹Ince S. Vitamin supplements may help delay onset of AIDS. Med Tribune, November 9, 1993, p. 18.
²Semba RD, et al. Increased mortality associated with vitamin A deficiency during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Arch Intern Med 1993;153:2149–2154.
³Semba RD, et al. Maternal vitamin A deficiency and mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. Lancet 1994;343:1593–1597.
⁴Murray, Michael and Pizzorno, Joseph. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine; 2nd ed. Prima Health: 1998
⁵Sappey C, et al. Vitamin, trace element and peroxide status in HIV seropositive patients: asymptomatic patients present a severe beta-carotene dificiency. Clin Chim Acta 1994;230:35–42.
⁶Coodley GO, et al. Beta-carotene in HIV infection. J Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1993;6:272–276.
⁷Folkers K, et al. Biochemical deficiencies of coenzyme Q10 in HIV-infection and exploratory treatment. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1988;153:888–896.
⁸Castaldo A, et al. Iron deficiency and intestinal malabsorption in HIV disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1996;22:359–363.
⁹Roederer M, et al. Cytokine-stimulated human immunodeficiency virus replication is inhibited by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Proc Natl Acad Sci 1990;87:4884–4888.
¹⁰Robinson MK, et al. Glutathione deficiency and HIV infection. Lancet 1992;339:1603–1604.
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¹²Schrauzer GN, Sacher J. Selenium in the maintenance and therapy of HIV-infected patients. Chem Biol Interact 1994;91:199–205.
¹³Butterworth RF, et al. Thiamine deficiency in AIDS. Lancet 1991;338:1086.
¹⁴Harakeh S, et al. Suppression of human immunodeficiency virus replication by ascorbate in chronically and acutely infected cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci 1990;87:7245–7249.
¹⁵Cathcart RF III. Vitamin C in the treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Med Hypotheses 1984;14:423–433.
¹⁶Gogu SR, et al. Increased therapeutic efficacy of zidovudine in combination with vitamin E. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1989;165:401–407.
¹⁷Fabris N, et al. AIDS, zinc deficiency, and thymic hormone failure. JAMA 1988;259:839–840.
¹⁸Mocchegiani E, et al. Benefit of oral zinc supplementation as an adjunct to zidovudine (AZT) therapy against opportunistic infections in AIDS. Int J Immunopharmacol 1995;17:719–727.
¹⁹Zhang QC. Preliminary report on the use of Momordica charantia extract by HIV patients. J Naturopath Med 1992;3:65–9.
²⁰Abdullah TH, et al. Enhancement of natural killer cell activity in AIDS with garlic. Dtsch Zschr Onkol 1989;21:52–53.
²¹Ito M, Sato A, Hirabayashi K, et al. Mechanism of inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antivir Res 1988;10:289–98.
²²Hattori I, Ikematsu S, Koito A, et al. Preliminary evidence for inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on HIV replication in patients with AIDS. Antivir Res 1989;11:255–62.
²³Ikegami N, et al. Prophylactice effect of long-term oral administration of glycyrrhizin on AIDS development of asymptomatic patients. Int Conf AIDS 1993;9:234 [abstract PO-A25-0596].