Here is the gist of story. There is a doctor in Canada by the name of Harold Foster who made some interesting observations about hiv in regard to geography. In areas of the world that have high soil level concentrations of selenium also have extremely low hiv infection rates. He mentions Senegal as a case and point. Senegal lies in area that has very high selenium levels and also have very open sexuality - the hiv infection rate is around 1%. He mentions that many viruses use selenium as a que as to when to reproduce. Hiv is parasitic for selenium in cells, and when it senses selenium is about to be used up, it starts to replicate in search of more selenium. Basically once selenium is used up in a cell, it hunts for another cell and this process goes on until selenium is used up in the body. Selenium is also crucial for the human immune system. Without it, the human immune system collapses. There are a 3 amino acids the human body uses to make a substance called glutathione which work in concert with selenium that is strongly antiviral. He tested his theory in africa recently with almost all recovering after a few weeks. It's been said that a hiv victim in the western world is worth 250,000 dollars to the drug companies. And along with the prejudice against people infected with hiv, it's no wonder this hasn't made the news. Imagine someone being able to go back to work with just supplementing with selenium and a couple amino acids?
Finland is another example of a country that had started using selenium enriched fertilzer in it's soils and also has low hiv infection rates - something like less than 1%. In Finland, selenium has been added to fertilizers since 1984, which has raised the selenium intake of Finns to an adequate level. Neighboring countries that have poor soil selenium have much higher infection rates. So if a person who is hiv - eats a diet that is elevated in selenium, this appears to have a protective effect against hiv infection.
Interestingly, Foster states that several viruses including HIV-1 have evolved the ability to create an even greater selenium deficiency in those they infect. Dr. Will Taylor and his coworkers, for example, have demonstrated that the genetic code of HIV-1 contains a gene that is virtually identical to that needed by humans to produce the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase. This means that as HIV-1 replicates, it must obtain selenium, a major component of this enzyme, from its host. Since HIV-1 encodes for the whole enzyme, as it becomes more common it depletes its host not only of selenium, but also of the other key core components of glutathione peroxidase, namely the amino acids cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan. As a consequence, HIV positive individuals gradually become more and more deficient in these nutrients. Selenium deficiency causes a depressed CD4T lymphocyte count, a malfunction of the thyroid gland, depression and an increased vulnerability to cancers (including Kaposi’s sarcoma). Inadequate cysteine is associated with poor wound and skin healing, psoriasis and abnormal immune function. A lack of glutamine is linked to abnormal intestine permeability, diarrhea and muscle wasting. Tryptophan deficiency leads to diarrhea, dementia and death. As the immune system collapses because of such nutritional abnormalities, associated pathogens invade, causing their own unique symptoms and increased risk of death. AIDS, therefore, is a nutritional deficiency illness caused by a virus. Its victims are simply suffering from extreme deficiencies of selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan, which can easily be reversed by better diet and supplements.
For further reading:
"Environmental factors and the pathogenesis of selenium-CD-4 cell tailspin in AIDS." Chinese Journal of AIDS and STD, Vol. 10(5), p 390-392,402 2004.
"AIDS and the selenium-CD4T cell tailspin." World Journal of Infection, Vol. 3(6), p 456-459, 2003.
"Micronutrients in pathogenesis and treatment of AIDS," Foreign Medical Sciences: Section of Medgeography, Vol. 24(2), p 49-53, 2003.
"Why HIV-1 has diffused so much more rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa than in North America." Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 60(4), p 611-614, 2003.
"How HIV-1 kills: Implications for the treatment and prevention of AIDS." Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, No. 255, p 76-78, 2002.
"Aids and the 'selenium - CD4T cell tailspin': the geography of a pandemic," Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, No. 209, p 94-99, 2000.
complete discussion can be viewed here:
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=408921
Back to Top
Well buddy–if it were only that simple but, it is not. The scientific frameworks on which you are placing creditability are scientifically undetermined and only deserves being in the category of interesting information and your hype could do much more harm than good.
For example, you will find in such places as Wikipedia that only 400 micro grams of selenium is toxic to human life. It is an essential trace element for life but it is no cure for AIDS. If you dig a little deeper, you will find HIV-1 effects the immune system and cell's chemistry in many ways. Ingesting or denying each critical agent for enzyme function balance is tantamount to just ignoring the disease.
For all you know, the immune system may be intentionally reducing selenium in its futile attempt to control the disease.
Blue Skies, Whtnukle
400 mcg of selenium IS what is considered by most nutritionalists a safe upper intake limit of selenium. You should research your facts before stating such things.
With people who have been infected with HIV for a long time, their endogenous selenium levels are severely depleted and it's been suggested they take even up to 1 mg. for a short duration to bring up serum levels of selenium.
This regiment is what I would do if I was positive for HIV-1 or had AIDS. How anyone follows this regimen of supplements is their decision alone.
Dr. Foster has done some small scale trials in africa as a "proof of concept" of this theory with great success. He also receives numerous emails from people who have thanked him for saving their lives after following his guidance on how to elevate glutathione levels. Now if I had full blown aids, was at the end of the road with my health, on my death bed and western medicine wasn't helping me, would I get on this regimin, hell yes! On the other extreme, if I was recently infected with HIV, you can bet I would be on these supplements. When someone is initially infected with hiv, doctors dont usually recommend a person get on ARVs or HAART until cd4 counts/viral load warrant it. I see great benefit to have someone get on these supplements early on way before they have to get on these drugs. At the very least this would (in my opinion) greatly delay the time before someone would have to start HAART (if at all). Physicians often avoid initiating HAART until absolutely necessary because of its tendency to cause serious side effects. And also regarding hyperlipidemia, lipodystrophy, anything a person can do to improve glutathione levels in the liver will be of great benefit to them. There are instances where ARV drugs make people so sick that some can't/dont take them at all. I would think in that situation it would be advisable to get on the supplements I mentioned.
Glutathione is antagonistic to HIV.
There is a wide body of evidence that shows selenium regulates viral replication. Many viruses like ebola, cocksackie, hiv, Hep B, HHBV (Kaposi), etc. are regulated by selenium. Selenium levels decline early on in hiv infection, way before the patient gets sick.As mentioned in Foster's theory selenium is also used by the body to produce a seleno-enzyme called glutathione peroxidase. With too little selenium (as well as cysteine, tryptophan, and glutamine) available to the body, the immune system collapses. Everyone infected with hiv should supplement with at least 200 mcg. of Selenium per day. For those who have been infected for a long period of time should consider supplementing up to 400-500 mcg per day for 6-8 weeks to bring selenium levels back to normal levels.
It is important to note that all AIDS patients have a progressive decrease in Selenium.
So here we are, well over 20 years since HIV made its debut and still there is no cure.
Dr. Foster has made an interesting and I believe correct analogy between HIV and scurvy. During the 17th century, the medical community of that time believed scurvy was caused by foul vapors from the belly of ships, and it was this that caused these mariners to become ill. What is also interesting is that James Lind, a relatively uneducated man, discovered that simple citrus juice would cure scurvy. Unfortunately, his work was shunned and ignored by respected, influential physicians of the day who kept the audience of men with the power to do something about it.
Isn't it interesting how history repeats itself and here we are with a very similar situation. All of this evidence points to a natural, inexpensive way to keep hiv from ever progressing to AIDS, yet it's largely being ignored by the medical community. In healthy people, glutathione is tightly regulated in cells, yet with hiv+ people, glutathione levels are depleted. HIV is parasitic of the components that make up glutathione. If you supplement with these components, AIDS will reverse itself or hiv will never progress to the point of AIDS. Yet despite the vast body of evidence that supports this theory, people are strange, they believe if something is inexpensive, it cannot be correct.
Good Afternoon Everyone:
I have been reading your information, great stuff. To conquer the AIDS pandemic we need all of you to take any affirmative action to overcome this humanitarian disaster. ... but more on this later ...
I am the business end of Dr. Harold Foster's working theory on AIDS. ... but more on this later ... FYI, google "Murray Persicke AIDS" and enjoy the published article.
Stay tuned, I am so impressed that I am taking time out of my active schedule to contribute to this forum. I will be posting a HM2~u AIDS & Poverty BLOGG shortly ...
Murray A. Persicke, CEO
HM2~u Group
"A Science Business Sustainable Approach to Significant Disease Syndromes for All Living Things"
Selenium Supplements May Slow HIV Progression
By Michael Smith, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
January 22, 2007
MIAMI, Jan. 22 -- Selenium supplements appear to slow the progress of HIV, according to interim results of a study conducted here.
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, daily doses of selenium substantially increased serum levels of the metal and prevented increases in HIV viral load, found Barry Hurwitz, Ph.D., of the University of Miami......
http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/HIVAIDS/tb/4903
Nutrition 21 (NXXI - commentary - Cramer's Take) shares were blazing, up 37% in extended trading Monday after the Purchase, N.Y., biotech's high-selenium yeast supplement, Selenomax, was shown to suppress HIV progression in a long-term University of Miami study.....
http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/newsanalysis/winners/10333879.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA