Nutrition and HIV

Good nutrition is important for everyone; however, if you are living with a chronic disease it can become instrumental in managing that disease. For a person living with HIV, a healthy diet and lifestyle can be almost as important as medications in controlling viral load and CD4 count.
A t this time there is not a specific HIV diet. It is recommended you follow a healthy diet with special attention to a variety of nutritious food choices and are attentive to food safety.1

What is a “good” diet for HIV?

1. Eat a variety of foods to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need to keep your immune system strong.
   
   
2. Use Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating Four Food Groups as a guide. Remember the food guide is designed for the general population so you may need more than the servings recommended. The four food groups are Grain Products, Fruits and Vegetables, Milk Products, and Meat and Alternatives.
   
   
3. Choose whole grain and enriched products more often. These help maintain regular bowel habits and are a better source of nutrients than products made with refined flours.
   
   
4. Choose at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This group is an important source of vitamins and minerals for your immune system. Choose dark green and orange vegetables and fruit more often as a source of beta-carotene and vitamin A.
   
   
5. Choose lower-fat milk products more often. For persons who are HIV positive 2% milk is an appropriate choice. If you need to gain weight you may choose whole milk and or fortified milk. If you have lactose intolerance, yogurt or aged cheeses may be better tolerated, or you may try a product called “Lactaid Milk” in which the lactose has been digested, or use “Lacteeze” to help you digest the lactose. Do not use raw or unpasteurized milk and milk products.
   
   
6. Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often. Make sure all meat, poultry and fish is cooked well. Avoid moldy nuts and cheeses and cracked or raw eggs.
   
   
7. Eat at regular intervals. This will help you maintain good nutrition and may help reduce side effects of medications.
   

Special Considerations

Check your weight regularly. Eat enough food to maintain weight at an ideal level, or to increase weight should you be underweight or have lost weight. Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends a lower fat intake to reduce the risk for heart disease. A moderate fat intake is acceptable for persons with HIV in order to get enough calories. If your blood fats are high, if you experience body fat redistribution, if you have a family history of heart disease or diabetes, or if you are very overweight, you may be asked to follow a lower or modified fat diet. An HIV positive person may need more vitamins and minerals than someone who is not HIV positive. For this reason we recommend you make healthy food choices most often, and take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement once a day.1

Also keep in mind that some foods can interfere with medications. Grapefruit juice is known to interfere with many meds, even if consumed long before the drug is taken. The same holds true for Seville oranges (often used in marmalade), tangelos and pomegranate juice. It’s better to avoid these fruits if you are taking antiretroviral medications.2



Sources
1 Southern Alberta HIV Clinic (2008). Nutrition Services – Diet and HIV Infection. http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/programs/sac/patient_info/nutrition_services_diet.htmRetrieved February 2009.
2 Foods and Meds. Relay Volume 4, Number 3. Page 15.