Here's how to eat to improve your immune system, control your weight,
safeguard your muscles and bones, and increase your energy and general health.
Aim to have a "rainbow" of fruits and vegetables, including fresh or
frozen vegetables, on your plate.
Taking a daily pill or getting a monthly or bimonthly shot can help you
manage your HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can make sure that the viral load, or
quantity of virus in the blood, remains at an undetectable level. According to
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAAA), individuals
with undetectable viral loads can live long, healthy lives without the risk of
contracting AIDS.
However, even when it is properly controlled, HIV still results in a
minimal amount of inflammation that can eventually harm the body.
Despite the fact that it cannot be found in blood, HIV can still be found
in tissue and can cause an inflammatory response in the lymph nodes. John R.
Koethe, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University
Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, adds that some HIV treatments can
hasten the aging of the cardiovascular system.
According to a report in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, ART
can also change how the body distributes fat, which can result in weight gain
or obesity and the associated health issues.
Dietary counselors are frequently a part of HIV treatment teams, and they
emphasize the value of boosting nutrition and adjusting calorie needs based on
an individual's response to ART. (Keep in mind that the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics suggests that someone with HIV may need more calories to maintain
a healthy weight than someone without HIV.
According to Allison Webel, PhD, RN, professor and associate dean for
research at UW School of Nursing in Seattle, "For people living with HIV,
a healthy diet helps lower the likelihood of developing heart disease, cancers,
and other conditions, while improving the quality of life.".
Dr. Webel is a co-leader of the multi-site PROSPER-HIV study, which was started in 2018 to evaluate the dietary and exercise requirements of HIV-positive individuals.
She advises HIV-positive individuals to adhere to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which have been modified for their special requirements, until the results are available in 2023.
Continue reading
for her nutrition and food safety advice on how to maintain a healthy diet
while living with HIV.
Here are Guidelines for a Healthy HIV Diet: What to Eat When You Have HIV
• Fruits and Vegetables can Control Inflammation
One of the best thing’s HIV-positive people can do, according to Dr. Dot
Webel, is to eat vegetables, whether they are fresh or frozen. Fresh fruits,
dark green leafy vegetables (such as kale, spinach, and broccoli), red, orange,
and yellow produce (such as beets, yellow peppers, and carrots), as well as
beans, peas, legumes, and starchy vegetables are among the "rainbow"
of foods she advises consuming.
To get rid of any potentially dangerous bacteria or other germs, wash
fruits and vegetables before eating them raw or cooked.
According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,
HIV-positive individuals should pay extra attention to food safety because they
may have compromised immune systems that make them more susceptible to
food-borne illnesses.
• Protein Can Help Maintain Muscle Mass
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises people with HIV to include
protein-rich foods at all meals, such as lean beef, organic chicken, turkey,
oily fish, eggs, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, or from nuts and nut
butters, beans, and seeds. Edamame and tofu, two foods high in protein that are
made from soybeans, are also advised by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Because HIV patients are more likely to experience the long-term effects
of inflammation on muscle tissue, protein is crucial for maintaining muscle
mass.
According to Mayo Clinic, protein can maintain your strength, increase
your energy, and support a healthy immune system. Webel recommends consuming 1–1–4
grams of lean protein per kilogram of body weight each day. (Pounds to
kilograms can be converted using the Metric-Conversions.
org tool.
Depending on the individual's preferences and access to food, she adds,
"This can be a combination of plant and animal sources of protein.".
People with HIV should only consume pasteurized dairy products, use
separate knives and cutting boards for raw meats and produce, and avoid eating
raw or undercooked meat, fish, or eggs.
• Fiber May Improve Nutritional Absorption
Raw, fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole
grains lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and maintain a healthy
digestive system. Some starchy foods also provide an affordable way to deliver
a startling nutritional punch.
Given the potential for poor nutrient absorption brought on by
HIV-related inflammation, Webel claims that a simple meal like brown rice and
beans can deliver sufficient protein, fiber, and other nutrients at a
reasonable price.
• Important Vitamins and Nutrients can Strengthen your Immune System
The majority of vitamin, mineral, fat, and carb needs should be satisfied
by diets that emphasize plants, proteins, and fiber. To combat some of the
potential side effects of antiretroviral medications, such as bone
demineralization (weakening of the bones) and elevated cholesterol and
triglyceride levels, people who follow a special diet for HIV should also
concentrate on certain nutrients.
The following are examples of good nutrition for HIV-positive individuals:
• Vitamin D According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
(AAOS), vitamin D strengthens bones and is produced by the body through sun
exposure.
• It is available in fortified milk and fatty fish.
• Calcium Bone health also depends on calcium. It can be found in fatty
fish, dairy products, calcium-fortified non-dairy milk, and orange juice.
• Iron Red meat can aid in the body's production of hemoglobin, a
substance that helps carry oxygen through the blood. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, foods that are high in iron include leafy greens,
seafood, whole-grain breads and pastas, eggs, liver, and even dark chocolate.
S. the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• "Good" Fats According to the Mayo Clinic, foods high in
"good" fats—such as extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, salmon,
tuna, and other oily fish—promote cell growth and give you energy.
• Drinking Water can Help you Feel Better
Water improves digestion and elimination, supports metabolic processes, transports medications through the body, and maintains the health of cells. Additionally, it controls body temperature and makes the air more comfortable to breathe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking
water can aid in weight management and calorie restriction (if that is a goal
for your health).
Webel claims that among her patients, she has discovered that drinking
enough liquids lessens the muscle pain and fatigue that are frequently
associated with HIV.
Webel claims that drinking water is the best thing you can do, but
unsweetened carbonated and flavored waters are also acceptable. She advises
consuming 2 to 3 liters per day, or 8 to 13 glasses of water.
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