SPEAK OUT

HIV
Diet and Sugar
Q: There is no scientific evidence that a diet for someone who is HIV+ should exclude sugar and sweetened foods. Sugar can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

A: In fact you are wrong, a quick glance at just four sources tells us the following, in the December 2001 issue of the HIV Clinicians Journal, Liana Steenkamp, MSc Dietetics and Professor Andre Dannhauser of the Department of Human Nutrition, University of the Free State note: “Malabsoprtion and diarrhoea are the major nutritional problems in HIV patients and the most important cause of Aids wasting….practical guidelines to manage this complicaton are of the utmost importance…A diet limiting fat, lactose, insoluble fibre, caffeine, alcohol and concentrated sugars/sweets is recommended.”
The National Association for People Living with Aids has a publication, “Food for People Living with HIV/AIDS” it says: “Candida/thrush is a common infection of people with Aids. Candida causes white patches on the gums and on the sides of the tongue; burning, swelling and redness in the mouth; changes in taste; lots of bad smelling gas (farts); indigestion; diarrhoea; night sweats; sore throats; difficulty in swallowing; chest pains and vaginal yeast infections in women. The candida fungus is found naturally in the digestive tract … (but it can) grow out of control. The friendly flora are often destroyed by antibiotics or birth control pills. Use these foods to prevent and help treat candida: plain unsweetened yoghurt, fermented foods such as sour milk and sour porridge, garlic – eat four to eight garlic cloves per day if you have candida. Insert garlic in the anus or vagina…Candida feeds off sugar so avoid eating sugar, alcohol, honey and too much sweet fruit.”
Jennifer Muir Bowers of the Department of Nutritional Sciences University of Arizona in the Summer 2000 edition of Numedx.com writes that “the incidence of Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) co-infection with HIV is increasing. It is four times more prevalent than HIV infection in the USA.” She advises patients to “generally avoid sugar-sweetened beverages as a good rule of thumb; this can minimize extra, empty calories and can help you manage blood fat (especially triglyceride) and blood sugar levels.”
And then in Positive Health issued free from Metropolitan Life (www.redribbon.co.za or 021-9405772) Neil Orr writes: “Food to Avoid: Sugar: Sugar encourages the growth of unhealthy fungus (eg candida/thrush) on your tongue, in the vagine, in your stomach and other areas of your body. More than 20 teaspoons of sugar a day (including sweets and other food rich in sugar) reduces the number of your body’s fighter cells by half. This can cause severe health problems such as severe weight loss, diarrhoea, fatigue, outbreaks of infections. Death can occur if this continues for a period of time. As far as possible, eliminate sugar – including sweets, chocolates, fizzy cool drinks, cake and biscuits – from your diet. If you are health, you may eat some sugar (eg half a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of tea). However, keep this amount very low. If you are ill, do not eat any sugar whatsoever.”