In 1985, the Life Extension Foundation proposed that the decline in the immune function might be prevented or slowed down via the daily use of high-potency dietary supplements. The HIV virus severely depletes the cells of an amino acid called glutathione. Glutathione plays an important role in maintaining cellular integrity throughout the body, including the epithelial lining of the intestines. A wide range of antioxidants have been shown to protect immune function, and nutrients that maintain cellular levels of glutathione are especially important in preventing or slowing the progression of HIV infection.
Macrophages are another component of the immune system which relies on glutathione.
The macrophages are very large immune cells that protect the body by swallowing and destroying foreign particles and cancer cells. The production of a substance called leukotriene C by macrophages is essential for them to reach invading organisms. When glutathione levels are low, the macrophages' production of leukotriene C is inhibited, resulting in diminished macrophage function. It is now widely understood that AIDS is associated with a deficiency of glutathione that leads to the generation of enormous levels of oxidative stress that damage and kill otherwise-healthy cells throughout the body. This suggests that supplementation with nutrients to boost cellular glutathione is crucial to protect against a primary mechanism by which HIV destroys immune function.