Wellness

Why Is Nutrition Important for People Living with HIV?

For individuals living with HIV, good nutrition is essential to manage the virus, reduce complications, and optimize treatment outcomes. Proper nutrition helps:

• Enhance Medication Absorption: A healthy diet supports the absorption of antiretroviral drugs, improving their effectiveness and ensuring the best possible outcomes in managing HIV.
• Support Immune Health: Nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins play a key role in maintaining a strong immune system by increasing the number of healthy immune cells (CD4 cells) and reducing viral load.
• Lower Risk of Chronic Diseases: A well-rounded diet can help prevent HIV-related complications, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and malnutrition.
• Improve Energy and Well-being: Eating a nutritious, balanced diet helps combat fatigue, improves mental clarity, contributing to an overall better quality of life.
• Fight Infections: Proper nutrition helps the body stay strong and fight off infections, which is crucial for individuals living with HIV.

How Nutrition Supports Your Health with HIV

• Maintain a Healthy Weight: For many people with HIV, weight loss or malnutrition is a concern. A nutritious diet can help stabilize weight and prevent malnutrition, which can weaken the immune system and hinder the body’s ability to fight infections.
• Manage Side Effects: ART medications may cause side effects like nausea, diarrhea, or changes in appetite. A diet tailored to your specific needs can alleviate these symptoms and help maintain proper nutrition.
• Mental Health: Good nutrition is not only important for physical health but also plays a role in mental well-being. Eating nutrient-dense foods can improve mood, cognitive function, and overall mental health, which is essential when managing the emotional aspects of living with HIV.

Immune-Boosting Foods

Certain foods are especially beneficial for strengthening the immune system:

• Citrus Fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits): High in vitamin C, essential for immune function.
• Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, collard greens): Rich in vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and folate to support immunity.
• Nuts and Seeds: Packed with healthy fats, zinc, and antioxidants that help maintain immune function.
• Garlic: Known for its antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting properties.
• Protein: Lean proteins like chicken, fish, beans, and tofu are crucial for building and repairing tissue, supporting immune cells.

Food Safety

For individuals living with HIV, food safety is especially important to avoid foodborne illnesses, which can be more serious. Here are some tips to ensure your food is safe:

• Wash Hands, Surfaces, and Produce: Always wash your hands before handling food, sanitize surfaces regularly, and wash fresh produce before eating to prevent illness.
• Cook Foods Thoroughly: Make sure meats are cooked to the proper internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
• Avoid Raw or Undercooked Foods: Avoid raw seafood, undercooked meats, and unpasteurized dairy products, which can carry bacteria or parasites.
• Store Food Properly: Refrigerate perishable foods immediately, and keep raw meat separate from other foods to prevent cross-contamination.
• Check Expiration Dates: Always check expiration dates on packaged food and throw away anything that is past its date or appears spoiled.

At PA Thrive Partnership, our dietitian works closely with clients to create personalized nutrition plans that align with their unique health needs and treatment goals. We believe that nutrition is a powerful tool to enhance your quality of life and support your health at every stage of your journey.

Our agency also offers home-delivered meals, congregate meals, and an agency-wide food bank to help support individuals in our community. For more information, call (833) 444-8435 today.