Food in the treatment of AIDS

Food can be a good way to help in the treatment of AIDS, because it contributes to the strengthening of the immune system and helps to control and live better with the side effects caused by antiretroviral drugs, which are essential to fight the HIV virus.

The use of medicines is essential for the treatment of AIDS because they reduce the chances of opportunistic infections, but food is equally important because it helps to avoid chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver failure or heart disease, strengthens the immune system and even helps to minimize the side effects of antiretrovirals, controlling the evolution of the disease and improving the quality of life.

Essential diet care

In general, a healthy, varied and colorful diet is recommended, and it is important to keep your weight well controlled to avoid losing too much weight and becoming malnourished or excessive weight gain which can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications.

That is why the consumption of foods with anti-inflammatory potential, such as orange, acerola and flaxseed, as well as those rich in omega 3, such as tuna, sardines and chia, are strongly advised to protect the liver, pancreas, heart and intestine. Find out more examples at: Foods that help fight inflammation.

Another important point in the seropositive diet is hygiene, washing the hands and the foods that will be consumed very well. This is extremely important because it reduces the risk of contamination with microorganisms, such as Giardia and Salmonella , and consequently the risk of gastroenteritis. In addition, it is very important to avoid consuming raw foods, such as carpaccio, sushi, roast beef or any rare food due to the increased risk of contamination and intestinal infection.

Natural AIDS Remedies

Taking echinacea tea daily is advisable to improve the immune system, but although natural consumption of St. John's wort, also known as St. John's wort and Garden, which is indicated to treat anxiety, nervousness and depression, does not it is recommended when taking medications such as Efavirenz, Delavirdine or Nevirapine.

How to decrease the side effects of AIDS drugs

To reduce the unpleasant side effects of drugs used in antiretroviral therapy, the diet can be adapted to each symptom presented, so as not to decrease nutritional status and guarantee a good response to treatment, thus improving the person's health status.

Know what to do to reduce these undesirable effects, without having to change the medication:

Side effect	What to do
Nausea and vomiting	Prefer small and frequent meals, and avoid any drink with the meal.
Avoid very hot meals and prefer cold ones.
Diarrhea	Avoid fatty, very spicy and sugary foods, such as soft drinks and industrialized juices.
Drink plenty of fluids, such as water, coconut water or homemade serum, if you experience vomiting or diarrhea.
Eat low fiber foods like bananas, peeled apples, toast, bread, rice, pasta and dry crackers.
Loss of appetite	Bet on foods like soups or milkshakes and vitamins that don't need much effort to consume.
Alteration of taste	Use many aromatic herbs, such as turmeric, pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin, bay leaf, rosemary or basil.
Sores in the mouth and esophagus	Avoid acidic foods such as citrus fruits, vinegar, salty or hot spicy foods.
Weight loss	Add rice flour, powdered milk or sour cream to the soup and dishes with sauces.

Why you should pay attention to your weight

Those who have the HIV virus must always be aware of their weight to avoid involuntary weight loss and the consequent fragility of the immune system, but also overweight. Therefore, it is advisable to go to the nutritionist every 6 months to adjust the diet in order to maintain a good state of health and consider the use of dietary supplements.

Because just like medical intervention with antiretroviral drugs needs to be adjusted according to the stage of HIV, food can also be adapted to prevent and treat the health problems that arise.