Good Nutrition & HIV/AIDS. Good nutrition is critical for people living with HIV/AIDS. Nutrition should be viewed as an essential co-therapy that can help maximize medical management of HIV. Eating well can:* Prevent or delay the loss of muscle tissue or "wasting"* Help strengthen the immune system* Help reduce viral mutations* Decrease the incidence and severity of opportunistic infections and hospitalizations* Lessen the debilitating symptoms of HIV/AIDS.Protein helps build muscle tissue and helps your immune system fight off infection. Studies have shown that HIV weight loss tends to reduce protein stores more quickly than starvation.Carbohydrates and fats are important because HIV can increase the body's metabolic rate causing us to use more calories to do the same work we did with fewer calories before becoming HIV+.Getting adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and photochemicals produces energy and protects against chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and high blood press
