The December 1996 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported that among 281 people with HIV who were followed for up to 8 years, average survival times were longer among those who took B-vitamins (more than twice the Recommended Dietary Allowance for B-6 and more than 5 times the RDA for thiamin and riboflavin). But average survival time was shorter among HIV-infected people who took any amount of zinc. (Amer. J. Epidem. 143: 1244,1996).

In many respects, the effects of HIV on the human immune system resemble those of the aging process. In both cases, many of what appear to be either HIV- or age-related changes in immune function have much more to do with nutritional status. Both HIV and advancing age have a real impact on the immune system, but improving overall nutrition status can do a lot to slow the rate of decline. Macrophages are the dust-sweepers of the immune system. They surround bacteria, old cells, and other unwanted debris.

See also:
HIV/AIDS and Aging
Compare & Contrast: HIV/AIDS & Aging