In a June 10, 2005 AIDS editorial reviewing the

In a June 10, 2005 AIDS editorial reviewing the current state of knowledge about micronutrient supplementation in people with HIV/AIDS, Tang and colleagues concluded that "a combination of vitamins may afford some benefits to undernourished HIV-infected populations, particularly those with more advanced disease," but conceded that "the role of individual micronutrients ... is less clear." Most healthcare providers agree that HIV positive people can benefit from a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. (Due to the potential harmful effects of iron, many recommend an iron-free supplement for anyone other than menstruating women and people with iron deficiency). But when it comes to specific nutrients, expert opinion -- and the little relevant research conducted to date -- remains sharply divided.

Higher amounts of various substances have been proposed to improve immune response, ameliorate symptoms and drug side effects, and slow HIV disease progression, on the basis of theoretical understandings about how an agent is expected to behave, laboratory research looking at the effects of a substance in vitro, cross-sectional studies showing specific nutritional deficiencies in a population, or -- less commonly -- controlled trials. Several nutrients that have received the most attention with regard to HIV/AIDS are discussed below.