In one study, HIV-positive men with the highest levels of vitamin E in their blood were 34 percent less likely to develop AIDS than men who had the lowest levels of the vitamin. Vitamin E s antioxidant power prevents cell damage caused by HIV, so it inhibits the replication of the virus, says Susan Kowalsky, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Norwich, Vermont. Make sure you take d-alpha tocopherol, the natural form of vitamin E, he says. Vitamin A and beta-carotene . Low levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene are associated with a decrease in T cells, says Dr. Lichtenstein, and supplementation will aid in the growth and reproduction of these immune cells.
Research shows that when vitamin A levels are low, T-cell counts also take a beating.
People who are HIV-positive but also have normal levels of vitamin A will be more likely to have a higher count of T cells. The problem is that when vitamin A is taken in very high doses, it may speed the replication of the virus rather than slow it down. Alternative practitioners pay close attention to the amount that s given. Vitamin A has been shown to slow the progression of HIV to AIDS when taken in moderate doses of 10,000 to 20,000 IU daily. To get around the risk of accelerating virus replication, practitioners often prefer to recommend beta-carotene rather than vitamin A, says Dr. Lichtenstein.