The Beginnings of Nutritional Therapy

Bolstering your immune system’s ability to function may be key in preventing HIV-related symptoms and progression, and nutrients play a key role in your immune function.

Dr. Harold Foster pioneered the use of selenium and amino acids, plus antioxidants, for HIV and AIDS some years ago. In 2003, for instance, he published a study that revealed HIV did not appear to spread as well in populations that have adequate dietary intake of selenium.

He later suggested that people eating diets with higher levels of amino acids and selenium may be somewhat protected from HIV infection, as this “antioxidant defense system” may act as an initial defense against viral infection.

In 2004, he published additional research noting the importance of nutritional interventions in treating AIDS, noting:

“Physicians involved in a selenium and amino-acid field trial in Botswana … are reporting that this nutritional protocol reverses AIDS in 99% of patients receiving it, usually within three weeks.”

According to Dr. Foster, nutrient deficiencies are at the foundation of the disease progression from HIV to AIDS. He explained:

“AIDS is a deficiency disease caused by HIV… HIV-1 contains a gene that is virtually identical to that which allows humans to produce the enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. As the virus is replicated, it begins to seriously compete with its host for the four nutrients needed to make this enzyme, specifically the trace element selenium and the three amino acids, glutamine, cysteine and tryptophan.

As infection increases, serious deficiencies of these nutrients develop. Inadequate selenium causes the immune system to collapse, the thyroid to malfunction and depression to develop.

Glutamine deficiency leads to muscle wasting and diarrhea. Shortages of cysteine result in skin problems such as psoriasis and greater susceptibility to infection. A lack of tryptophan causes diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia and ultimately death.

It becomes easy for other pathogens to infect the patient. In short, the infected person has developed the disorder we call AIDS. The treatment of HIV/AIDS, therefore, should always include diets elevated in these four nutrients to reverse such deficiencies.”

A Healthy Gut May Also Boost Health in HIV Patients

HIV infection is known to cause damage to your gastrointestinal tract, where about 80 percent of your immune system resides. Research suggests that consuming beneficial bacteria known as probiotics may help to lower risks of infection and inflammation in HIV patients and even enhanced gastrointestinal immune function.

Maintaining optimal gut flora, and “reseeding” your gut with fermented foods and probiotics may therefore be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health if you have HIV (or any other chronic disease). Even healthy people should strive to optimize their gut flora in this way. It’s worth noting that each mouthful of fermented food can provide trillions of beneficial bacteria—far more than you can get from a probiotics supplement, which will typically provide you with colony-forming units in the billions.

I thought this would be a good analysis, so I tested fermented vegetables produced with our probiotic starter culture to determine their probiotic potency and was astounded to discover they had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. Literally, one serving of fermented vegetables was equal to an entire bottle of a high-potency probiotic! Fermented foods also give you a wider variety of beneficial bacteria, so all in all, it’s a more cost-effective alternative.

5 More Immune-Boosting Natural Tips

If you have HIV, it’s important to work closely with an experienced holistic health care provider who can guide you on how best to stay well. Generally speaking, however, the tips that follow will help to bolster a positive immune response, which will help to ward off infections and chronic disease.

• Focus on eating more immune-boosting foods, including mushrooms, leafy greens, fermented foods, whey protein, and coconut oil
• Get proper sleep
• Minimize stress using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or other stress-management tools
• Optimize your vitamin D levels (vitamin D deficiency is common among those with HIV.
• Exercise

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