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Nutrition 'no substitute for ARVs'
22/08/2007 10:51 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Nutrition plays a supportive role in the management of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis, but there is no evidence to use it as a primary treatment, according to a study published on Wednesday.
The research was conducted by the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAF).
"The panel believes that nutrition is not a substitute for antiretroviral agents in the treatment of those diseases," said ASSAs researcher Barry Mendelow, in an overview of a study on the nutritional influences on immunity in HIV/Aids and TB.
"Does that mean nutritional treatment has no role - of course not. But we must understand the difference between primary and supportive treatment," said Mendelow.
With HIV/Aids and TB, nutrition is part of supportive treatment not primary treatment, he said.
At the release of the report, another researcher Professor Jimmy Volmink said for example, specific supplements such as amino acids could increase body weight, but in pregnant women, large doses of Vitamin A could be toxic.
Conditions in SA
The report called for nutritional study specific to the conditions in South Africa where much of the population is malnourished or suffering from "hidden hunger" - a condition where a person appears to be well nourished but is actually deficient in macro nutrients.
Most of the available studies were conducted among already well nourished groups of people in North America and Europe.
"Let us for God's sake do these studies and come up with a useful recommendation," said Professor Wieland Gevers, a member of the report study panel.
- SAPA
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