Food can be a good way to help treat AIDS by helping strengthen the immune system and helping to better control and live 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 risk of opportunistic infections, but food is equally important because it prevents chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver failure or heart disease, strengthens the immune system and even helps minimize the side effects of antiretrovirals, controlling disease progression and improving quality of life.
- A healthy.
- Varied and colorful diet is generally recommended.
- And it is important to monitor weight well to avoid losing too much weight and being malnourished or overweight that can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications.
That is why the consumption of foods with anti-inflammatory potential, such as orange, steel and linaza, as well as those rich in omega 3, such as tuna, sardine and chia, are highly recommended to protect the liver, pancreas, heart and intestine. See more examples about: Foods that help fight inflammation.
Another important point of the HIV-positive diet is hygiene, hand washing and foods that will be very well consumed, this is extremely important because it reduces the risk of contamination by microorganisms, such as Giardia and Salmonella, and therefore the risk of gastroenteritis. In addition, it is very important to avoid eating raw foods, such as carpaccio, sushi, rosbif or other rare foods due to the increased risk of contamination and intestinal infection.
It is advisable to drink tea with echinacea daily to improve the immune system, but although the natural consumption of St. John’s wort, also known as St. John’s grass and garden, which is indicated to treat anxiety, nervousness and depression, does not. It is recommended when taking medicines such as efovirenz, delavirdine or nevirapine.
To reduce the unpleasant side effects of drugs used in antiretroviral therapy, the diet can be adapted to each symptom that occurs, so as not to decrease nutritional status and ensure a good response to treatment, thus improving the health of the person.
Learn what to do to reduce these side effects, without having to switch medications:
Anyone carrying the HIV virus should always be aware of their weight to avoid involuntary weight loss and consequent fragility of the immune system, but also overweight, so it is advisable to go to the nutritionist every 6 months to adapt the diet in order to maintain good health and consider the use of dietary supplements.
Because just as medical intervention with antiretroviral drugs must be adjusted to the stage of HIV, food can also be adapted to prevent and treat health problems that arise.