The researchers concluded that the multivitamin-selenium combination, when taken for 24 months, was safe and significantly reduced the risk of immune decline and morbidity, noting that it “may be effective when started in the early stages of HIV disease.” As reported in the study:

“Micronutrient deficiencies, known to influence immune function, are prevalent even before the development of symptoms of HIV disease and are associated with accelerated HIV disease progression. Micronutrient supplementation has improved markers of HIV disease progression (CD4 cell count, HIV viral load) and mortality in clinical trials…

The B vitamins, vitamins C and E, and the trace element selenium are essential nutrients necessary for maintaining a responsive immune system. Selenium may also have an important role in preventing HIV replication.”

Why Natural Alternatives for HIV Treatment Are So Important

It’s thought that your body cannot rid itself of the HIV virus once infected, although it can reduce its viral load to virtually undetectable levels (generally defined as under 40-75 HIV copies in a sample of your blood).

Your body can help to reduce its viral load naturally, but anti-HIV drugs are also used for this purpose. Interestingly, about 0.5 percent of HIV-infected individuals are able to naturally control the infection without any need for drugs. These individuals, known as “elite suppressors,” appear to have a more effective immune response to HIV. Some of the noted side effects of standard anti-HIV drugs include:

• Anemia
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pancreatitis
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Fat loss in arms legs or face, sometimes redistributed to your abdomen or back of neck
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Depression
• Rash
• Changes in heart rhythm
• Weight loss
• Severe liver problems
• Lactic acid buildup
• Dry mouth
• Flu-like symptoms
• Elevated blood sugar levels and triglycerides
• Decreased bone density

Unfortunately, the drugs used to suppress the virus in the majority of HIV patients are quite toxic and carry significant side effects that can interfere with your quality of life. Some can even be life threatening. Even WebMD states: “The main goal of HIV treatment is to fight HIV in the body. But another goal is to do this without causing extreme side effects.” What makes the featured study so important is that it showed nutritional therapy as a highly effective tool for safely delaying disease progression and symptoms without toxic side effects.

Nearly 200 Studies Show the Potential for Natural Anti-HIV Substances

GreenMedInfo has compiled 184 studies showing the therapeutic potential of natural substances for HIV. One of the main tests used to determine the level of HIV in a person’s blood is with the CD4 cell count. Generally, the higher your viral load, the lower your CD4 count will be. Because CD4 cells play a key role in your body’s ability to fight off infections, keeping their levels higher is important for keeping you healthy, and research suggests natural substances are quite useful here.

One study found, for instance, that whey protein supplementation raises CD4 cell counts in people with HIV. Neem leaf has also been found to increase CD4 levels in HIV and AIDS patients, and so has selenium. Natural substances work against HIV via other mechanisms as well. Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is a component of green tea that inhibits the progression of HIV by binding itself to the exact spot HIV needs to infect a healthy T-cell, a kind of white blood cell crucial to fighting infections.

Fruit and vegetable concentrates containing polyphenols have also been shown to benefit HIV patients,as has curcumin, which may help treat HIV-associated diarrhea, weight loss and abdominal pain. Other natural compounds that have shown promise against HIV include:

• Cinnamon
• Elderberry
• Sumac
• Licorice
• Spirulina
• American ginseng
• Korean ginseng
• Lemon juice and lemongrass
• Tea tree
• Olive leaf extract
• Pomegranate
• Carnosic acid in rosemary