HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a sexually transmitted disease that can spread from contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid or during childbirth or breastfeeding. AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by HIV, which damages your immune system and making it difficult for your body to fight infections it wouldn't have problems fighting off otherwise. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS but you can follow a nutrient-rich diet that can help you boost your immune system.
How HIV Can Affect your Nutritional Status
With HIV, the disease itself can affect your nutritional status. Having HIV can increase your metabolic rate, making you lose weight. In addition, symptoms like sore mouth when eating and mouth sores can change the way you taste certain foods. Frequent colds, coughs and fevers, along with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and other digestive problems can also affect your appetite. All of this can result in you becoming malnourished, decrease your immune capacity and make you more susceptible to the complications of HIV/AIDS.
Treatment for HIV/AIDS
HIV can be treated and managed by using a combination of antiretroviral drugs that block the virus and its functions in several ways. According to MayoClinic.com, the five classes of antiretrovirals or ARVs are non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease Inhibitors, integrase inhibitors and entry or fusion inhibitors, which block HIV's entry to the immune system's CD4 cells. Unfortunately, these medications can have serious side effects including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmia, difficulty breathing, skin rashes and weakened bones among others. They can also affect your nutritional status.
How HIV Treatment Can Affect your Nutritional Status
Side effects like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea can impair how your body absorbs nutrients. In addition, some medications cause a condition called lipodystrophy were fat accumulates in the stomach and back area and depletes in areas such as the limbs and the cheeks, states Tufts University School of Medicine. Some of these medications also have side effects that affect your heart, kidneys or liver. You should consult your physician and with a registered dietitian, so that you can get an individualized diet for your specific needs.
Why Nutrition is Important with HIV/AIDS
Following the right diet can help keep your immune system strong, which helps your body to better fight the disease. It also helps the body process the many medications you take and may help with some of the symptoms of HIV. However, one of the most important things good nutrition can do for you is strengthen your immune system. According to the manual, "Living Well with HIV and AIDS" distributed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, foods that can help you improve your immune system include yogurt, which can help you establish a healthy intestinal flora; garlic, which contains allicin, a known antibacterial agent and tumeric, which has anti-inflammatory powers. Nuts and seeds, which contain phytochemicals and other antioxidants are also very healthy. Green tea, which contains polyphenols-another kind of plant antioxidants-can and ginger, which contains an anti-inflammatory agent called gingerol, also help strengthen your immune system. Eating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables is also a great way to boost your health. These contain vitamins such as vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotenes, which help with the regulation of cell-to-cell communication, help stimulate the immune system in general, and also act as antioxidant agents as well. Finally, eating foods high in zinc, like oysters, can help because zinc assists many enzymatic reactions involved in the immune system and also is known to enhance T-cell function.
