NUTRITION SENSE
by Dr. Brian A. Smith
"Why is it important to obtain professional nutritional guidance?" "If supplements are natural, they can't hurt me, they're not drugs." "I do get advice, the person at the store told me ..." "Well, my friend is on this program so I just copied it." "I was feeling worse so I just took more of everything."
These are some of the most common expressions I hear. Let's clear up some very basic misunderstandings.
First, the field of nutrition is a biological science and it takes a specialized "scientist" to understand and apply sound nutritional principals. This science is the study of food substances and their impact on the body. Do you honestly believe that a salesperson has the same level of understanding, education and ability as a person with a formal university education? If you do, then I suggest you ask them what drugs to take as well because they must have as much knowledge about drugs as a medical doctor. If you are to trust an educated professional with drug matters, I suggest you apply the same level of scrutiny to your choice of professionals regarding nutritional therapeutics. In most cases it is much more difficult to correctly use nutritional therapeutics in comparison to drug therapies. This is because drug therapies operate independently from your body while nutritional therapeutics are dependent on your body so what works for you may not work for someone else. In drug therapy the standard protocol for everyone may be 500 mg. of drug X per day, much easier than determining your daily requirement of different vitamins and minerals and making recommendations accordingly.
Let's look at "natural versus safe." These are not synonymous. Arsenic is natural, but not safe. "Okay, but what about vitamins and minerals? Those are normally found in the body, they must be safe." Do you know that where the death by injection is legal, the injection is of potassium chloride! Yes, the salt substitute, in high enough doses, is lethal. "Natural" does not equal "safe!"
"Well, the person giving me advice reads everything." Do they have a formal education in anatomy and physiology, as well as biochemistry and nutrition? If not, they will not be able to grasp the concepts necessary to apply, and to question, the information obtained from their reading. The vast majority of nutritional information is to be found in research journals, not published books. Most books are based on research that is anywhere from 10 to 50 years old. This research may still be of extreme value, it is just not current enough to be applied successfully in HIV management.
"I just take more when I'm not feeling well." This cavalier attitude can have disastrous effects. In Nutrition Research (1993; 13: S3-S18) it is reported that zinc excess will decrease lymphocyte function and suppress the antibody response. 150 mg. doses of zinc will suppress the function of neutrophils, killer cells and lymphocytes. Similarly, too much vitamin E can have an immunosuppressive effect. Are either supplement bad? NO! The beneficial effects of zinc are elaborated in an review article in the Journal of Internal Medicine (1992; 231: 463-469). Zinc increases interleukin 4 which, in turn, enhances T4 cell proliferation and thus diminish the immune defects in HIV infection. The May 1990 issue of the Being Alive Newsletter has a good article on the beneficial effects of vitamin E.
It is imperative that you obtain sound nutritional guidance from a professional that is well acquainted with all aspects of HIV care.
The information presented in this article is for information only and should not be construed as a recommendation of a course of action.
Dr. Brian A. Smith is a chiropractic doctor and naturopathic physician who has specialized in the treatment of immune-suppressed individuals since 1987. He is a scientific advisory board member of AIDS ReSEARCH Alliance.
He maintains a private practice in Los Angeles and can be reached at (323) 306-4909. Questions from readers are welcome as are suggestions for future articles. You can also contact him via E-mail at: Send e-mail to Dr. Smith
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Articles by Dr. Brian A. Smith:
HIV and CHIRO † VITAMIN C † BETA-CAROTENE † MINERALS † DMG † PROTEIN † DIET & HIV † MORE ON PROTEIN † NUTRITION † DHEA † LIVER † CHIRO † NAC † SILVER † ALT THERAPIES †