AIDS
Background
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus ) is an infection that suppresses immune function.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a disease of the human immune system associated with the HIV virus. In AIDS, there is a progressive decrease in immune function (as measured with CD4 immune cells) that can lead to numerous other infections, or even cancers, in a person who is infected with HIV.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is the final stage of HIV infection. People at this stage of HIV disease have badly damaged immune systems, which put them at risk for opportunistic infections (OIs).
How you become infected
The HIV virus is spread through blood exposure (e.g., a blood transfusion or sharing a needle during drug use), being born to an infected mother, or sexual contact (Intercourse or oral sex; kissing does not seem to spread HIV). It is NOT spread through casual contact, hugging or being around someone with the infection (unless you are also having sex with them).
Diagnosis
HIV is easily diagnosed through blood testing. You will be diagnosed with AIDS if you have one or more specific OIs, certain cancers, or a very low number of CD4 immune cells.
Treatments
Numerous nutritional deficiencies are present in HIV/AIDS, and are often severe — with many physicians not being aware of them — and are easy to treat and can be very beneficial.
Your treating physician will usually be made aware of what the currently recommended antiviral therapy mix is — and I consider these treatments to be a good idea. As they are quite profitable, the drug companies will be certain your doctor knows about them, which is good. This is not the case with natural therapies that help support health, so I add the treatments below.
Recommended Supplements
Nutritional support
Widespread nutritional deficiencies are present, so take the Energy Revitalization System vitamin drink powder. Only take 1/2-2/3 of a scoop a day if you are on Indinavir (because vitamin C at 1,000 mg a day can slightly lower blood levels) or if the high levels of nutrients cause diarrhea. Otherwise, 1 scoop a day is optimal.
To this, add the following:
Zinc and copper
50 mg a day of zinc plus 3 mg a day of copper for 3 months. This is critical, as HIV causes massive zinc losses which can actually cause many of the immune dysfunctions seen in AIDS. If the zinc upsets your stomach, lower the dose (take 25 mg a day for 6 months instead). This is in addition to the 15 mg of zinc in the vitamin powder.
Selenium
Take 100-150 mcg of selenium a day (in addition to the 55 mcg in the vitamin powder). In placebo-controlled studies, 200 mcg of selenium a day improved both symptoms and viral levels.
Licorice
Licorice has a component called glycyrrhizin that provides strong antiviral effects (learn more about natural adrenal support that includes licorice). Often given through IV by holistic physicians, studies show it can also help when taken by mouth. Take glycyrrhizin 150-200 mg a day (the lower dose used in several studies) or 400-1,600 mg a day if working with a holistic practitioner (who can monitor for high blood pressure or potassium and testosterone losses). In one study of 6 AIDS patients who received the higher 400-1,600 mg daily dose, 5 of the 6 had reduction or disappearance of the P24 antigen (the blood test used to follow HIV disease activity). These high doses will drop testosterone levels, however, so supplementation with bioidentical testosterone would be important in long-term use in order to keep total testosterone levels over 750 ng/dl. They may also raise blood pressure, so your doctor will want to monitor the BP as well.
Dried licorice contains 5-10% glycyrrhizin. In Europe, up to 100 mg a day of glycyrrhizin is considered safe, whereas in Japan, where it is widely used to treat viral hepatitis infections, up to 200 mg a day is considered safe (for personal use without supervision).