Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

Why is good nutrition important to people with HIV/AIDS?

Good nutrition is important for everyone, but it is even more important for PLWHA. This is because good nutrition helps the weakened immune system get stronger. A balanced diet can improve the health status of PLWHA, building energy stores and helping patients gain weight. The energy, vitamins and minerals gained from healthy food can help fight opportunistic infections. A balanced diet enables the body to receive all of the essential nutrients it needs every day. This means eating a variety of foods from different food groups at every meal. Each of the food groups helps the body in a different way - like repairing worn out tissue, protecting against infection and increasing energy. The different food groups are:

Bread, rice, pasta and grain group
Vegetable group
Fruit group
Meat, poultry and fish group
Milk and milk products group
Fats, oils and sweets group

If you look at the table below, you will see how much of the various groups you should try to eat every day:

Food group	Servings per day	Serving size	Examples of foods
Bread, rice, pasta, grain	6 – 11	1 slice of bread ½ cup rice ½ cup cooked cereal	Bread, mabele, maize meal, lebelebele, oats, rice, pasta, potato, sweet potato, corn on the cob, corn flakes
Vegetables	3 – 5	½ cup cooked 1 cup raw	Carrots, cabbage, spinach, choumolia, pumpkin, tomatoes, peas, morogo, squash
Fruits	2 – 4	1 medium size fruit ½ can fruit ¼ cup fruit juice	Apple, mango, banana, orange, pear, mumpudu, moretlwa, makgomane
Meat, poultry, fish and other alternatives	2 – 3	1 piece ½ cup dry beans 1 egg	Beef, chicken, liver, kidney, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, beans, ditloo, peanuts, peanut butter
Milk and milk products	2 – 3	1 cup milk or yoghurt 25g cheese	Milk, cheese, yoghurt, madila
Fats, oils and sweets	Small amounts	1 teaspoon oil or fat 1 teaspoon sugar	Butter, margarine, animal fat, pies, sugar, sweets, biscuits, fizzy drinks

What shoud I do if I do not have a lot of money to buy food?

Buy the best quality food that you can with the money you have to spend. Try to vary your diet as much as possible - buy vegetables, meat, fruit and bread or mielie meal instead of just one food. This will help your body get as many of the nutrients that it needs as possible. Some NGOs run programmes that teach people how to grow their own vegetables - ask your health care worker or counsellor about these programmes. You can also speak to your social worker about the government's food grant programme.

What should I do if I do not have an appetite?

If you do experience a loss of appetite, the following tips could help you eat enough food:

Make meals as tasty as possible
Eat small, more frequent meals and healthy snacks throughout the day
Eat your meals with friends or family
Add a little sauce or gravy to dry foods
Vary the flavour and texture of food as much as possible to make it more tasty

If anyone you know is suffering from nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, a painful mouth or any other condition that is affecting his/her eating habits, ask a health care worker to help him/her choose the best foods.

How do I prepare food safely?

Germs found on unwashed food and in food that has not been cooked properly can make you sick and cause diarrhoea. This is known as food poisoning and can be dangerous for PLWHA because of their already weak immune system. Don't forget that unsafe food does not always look or smell bad. The following tips will help you avoid the harmful germs in food:

Always wash your hands and counters before preparing food and after contact with raw meat or chicken.
Re-heat food thoroughly before eating to kill any germs.
Don't take chances - if you are not sure if food is fresh, throw it away.
Wash all fruit and vegetables with warm, clean water.
Make sure that meat, chicken, fish and eggs are properly cooked.
Use clean cups and spoons to feed babies.
Use clean and safe water for drinking and food preparation.

Should I take vitamins if I have HIV/AIDS?

Vitamin supplements can be very helpful in making sure that you get all the essential nutrients your body needs, especially if you do not eat a balanced diet. You should, however, always ask your doctor which vitamins and how much of each to take. This is very important if you are taking ARVs, because some vitamins might not work well with your ARV drugs.

Will taking vitamins cure me of HIV/AIDS?

No! Vitamins will help to keep your body healthy, but they will not cure you of AIDS. In fact, it would be dangerous to stop your ARVs and take vitamins or supplements only. ARVs work differently from vitamins - ARVs will decrease the amount of HIV in your blood, whereas vitamins will only boost your immune system. Always remember that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS.

Will eating a balanced diet cure me of HIV/AIDS?

No! A good diet will not cure you of HIV/AIDS and it is not a replacement for ARVs.

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