Breaking Research For 2-2-2000

In fact, supplement use "may support (the) beneficial health effects of currently available antiretroviral therapies," report Dr. Ulrich Keller at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. They published their findings in the January issue of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.

In their study, the Swiss team gave 15 HIV-infected patients in stable clinical condition either nutritional supplements to take by mouth plus dietary counseling, or no supplements and no specific counseling. Supplements were fortified with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, electrolytes and vitamins and minerals. Dietary counseling was tailored to suit the needs and symptoms of individual patients, and featured information on balanced nutrition and how to change the diet to deal with problems such as diarrhea, nausea and weight loss.

The investigators observed a significant decrease in protein breakdown processes signifying muscle breakdown among supplemented/counseled patients, while untreated patients showed no change. Patients receiving supplements also experienced an increase in lean body mass, accompanied by a decrease in fat mass, the authors report.

According to Keller and colleagues, the findings suggest that nutritional supplementation plus dietary counseling may help prevent the breakdown of muscle in HIV-infected patients. The researchers concluded that it may benefit AIDS patients to add this therapy to antiretroviral drug therapy.

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