Can a vitamin pill help HIV patients lose fat and get stronger immunity?
Zinc and selenium supplementation on treated HIV-infected individuals induces changes in body composition and on the expression of genes responsible of naïve CD8+ T cells function
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave HIV patients on medicine either zinc, selenium, both, or nothing for six months to see if it helped their bodies and immune systems.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave HIV patients on medicine either zinc, selenium, both, or nothing for six months to see if it helped their bodies and immune systems.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 571 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Osuna-Padilla IA, Rodríguez-Moguel NC, Aguilar-Vargas A, Tolentino-Dolores M, Perichart-Perera O, Ahumada-Topete V, Ávila-Ríos S, Soto-Nava M, Diaz-Rivera D, De León-Lara E, Wilson-Verdugo M, Briceño O
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Claims (5)
Zinc is a mineral that helps certain enzymes in the body carry out essential functions like breaking down nutrients, building DNA, and supporting immune responses.
In middle-aged men with HIV who are taking long-term antiretroviral drugs, taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily for six months is linked to a small increase in the proportion of CD4+ T cells, which are important for immune function.
In one person with HIV taking antiretroviral drugs, taking selenium supplements for six months changed the activity of certain genes in specific immune cells, including those involved in antiviral defense and cell killing.
In middle-aged men with HIV who are taking long-term antiretroviral drugs, taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily for six months is linked to a small decrease in body fat and body mass index, even when diet and exercise remain unchanged.
For middle-aged men with HIV who are taking long-term antiretroviral drugs, taking both zinc and selenium together for six months does not lead to better outcomes in body composition, CD4+ T cell levels, or metabolic markers than taking selenium alone.