HIV
herbs alternative treatment
hiv herbs hiv natural therapy hiv herbs hiv
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. When
HIV enters your body, it
moves inside white blood cells called "CD4 lymphocytes." HIV takes over the CD4
cells and makes billions of virus pieces each day. The virus pieces spread through your
body. Your body tries to defend itself against HIV by making antibodies (these hook on to
the virus and keep it from making virus pieces) and by special cells called macrophages
and natural killer T-cells. These cells help you to get rid of some of the virus pieces.
If antibodies against HIV show up in your blood, you know your body is trying to protect
you from the HIV infection you have picked up. However, it's usually several months before
your body makes enough antibodies to measure.
HIV alternative treatment
There are no alternative HIV treatmetns that are endorsed by the medical profession.
However, studies have shown several nutrients and herbs to have antiviral
properties. It is difficult to predict what clinical effect, if any, these herbs and
supplements have in the natural progression of HIV.
Green
Tea extract. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), one of the components of
green tea has been suggested to have antiviral activity. To determine the effects of EGCG on HIV infection, peripheral blood lymphocytes infected with HIV were incubated with
increasing concentrations of EGCG. EGCG strongly inhibited the replication of the HIV
virus.
Glutamine, the amino
acid, could be helpful for those on anti-HIV medicines.
Glutamine-antioxidant nutrient
supplementation can increase body weight, body cell mass, and intracellular
water when compared with placebo in HIV patients.
Hyssop has antiviral activity against herpes simplex and HIV-1.
Licorice may be helpful.
Multivitamins could be helpful.
Olive Leaf has
anti-HIV activity
There is very little information on how these herbs and nutrients interact with
antiviral medicines used to treat HIV or AIDS. For instance,
garlic reduces saquinavir blood levels by 50% and may affect
other drugs.
Multivitamins for HIV patients
A randomized trial of multivitamin supplements and HIV disease progression and
mortality.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115,
USA. mina@hsph.harvard.edu
Results from observational studies suggest that micronutrient
status is a determinant of the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
disease. We enrolled 1078 pregnant women infected with HIV in a
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to examine
the effects of daily supplements of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A and beta
carotene), multivitamins (vitamins B, C, and E), or both on progression of HIV
disease, using survival models. The median follow-up with respect to survival
was 71 months (interquartile range, 46 to 80). Of 271 women who
received multivitamins, 67 had progression to World Health Organization (WHO)
stage 4 disease or died--the primary outcome--as compared with 83 of 267 women
who received placebo. This regimen was also associated with reductions in the
relative risk of death related to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,
progression to WHO stage 4, or progression to stage 3 or higher. Multivitamins
also resulted in significantly higher CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts and
significantly lower viral loads. The effects of receiving vitamin A alone were
smaller and for the most part not significantly different from those produced by
placebo. Adding vitamin A to the multivitamin regimen reduced the benefit with
regard to some of the end points examined. Multivitamin supplements
delay the progression of HIV disease and provide an effective, low-cost means of
delaying the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected women.
HIV virus attack
After acute HIV infection, your body works hard to attack the virus. With your
body fighting, the virus can't make so many virus pieces. Even though you still have HIV
infection, you'll begin to look well and feel well again. The usual blood tests will be
normal. However, during this time, the virus pieces are still attacking your lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes are the centers of your body's immune system. The virus may also attack your
brain tissue and slowly cause damage there. Over 10 to 15 years, HIV would kill so many
CD4 cells that your body could no longer fight off infections. At this point, a person is
diagnosed as having AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Once you have AIDS, you can
easily get many serious infections.
HIV on the planet
38 million people around the world, half of them women, are living with HIV / AIDS,
according to the latest figures from UNAIDS, the United Nations agency spearheading the
battle against HIV or AIDS.
HIV
Medical treatment
The medical treatment of HIV or AIDS is with several antiviral drugs.
Other options for those
infected with the HIV virus.
Writing about emotional
topics appears to reduce stress in HIV-infected patients and may improve immune
responses
HIV Research Update
A study of
HIV-infected African women
found that daily doses of multivitamins appear to slow down the disease and cut
the risk of developing AIDS in half. The researchers who conducted the study in
Tanzania suggested that vitamin supplements could be used in developing
countries to delay the need for HIV drugs, saving them for use at more advanced
stages and avoiding their side effects.
FDA Rule Requires Warning on
Nonoxynol 9 OTC Contraceptive Products
In December 2007, FDA issued a final rule requiring manufacturers of
over-the-counter (OTC) stand-alone vaginal contraceptive and spermicidal
products containing the chemical ingredient nonoxynol 9 (N9) to include a
warning that the chemical N9 does not provide protection against infection from
HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Stand-alone spermicides include gels, foams, films, or inserts containing N9
that are used by themselves for contraception.
back to index yohimbe bark
alternative hiv natural therapy hiv herbs hiv vitamins