Nutrition in HIV/AIDS
Nutrition and your immune system
Your immune system needs good nutrition to function well.
We have known for decades that nutrition plays a major role in immunity and the ability of the immune system to respond to infection. The nutrients our bodies derive from food keep the immune system strong in countless ways. For example, the skin and linings of the lungs and gut provide the first line of defence by acting as physical barriers to invaders such as viruses and bacteria. These barriers are very sensitive to nutrition, especially vitamin A, and deteriorate when people don’t get proper nutrition. When this happens, viruses and bacteria have easier access into the body.
As another example, the body mounts a defence against invaders by using different types of immune cells and chemicals. This defence requires energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals—all of which are supplied by food. A lack of any of the key nutrients can weaken the body’s ability to fight infection.
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