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• A compound found in unroasted coffee beans called Chicoric acid has been found to stop the AIDS virus by barring an enzyme the virus needs to enter human cells.
• Abstinence is the only way to escape being infected with a sexually transmitted disease. There can be no exchange of bodily fluids between partners when one has HIV. Studies have shown that even kissing can be risky if you have gum disease and your partner has HIV. The risks for contacting sexually transmitted diseases are very high if you are changing partners.
• Along with medications and other treatments hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used. This is thought to be a beneficial treatment against infections associated with AIDS.
• At this time there are no magic pills to take for AIDS. Research is on-going and there has been significant progress made in this field, helping people with Aids to live longer with a good quality of life.
• Due to the fact that blood donors do not come into contact with other peoples blood, is would not be possible to get HIV by donating blood. All there materials are sterile, even single use, disposable needles. Individuals that are at risk for having HIV or AIDS should never donate their blood. Most physicians recommend that these people have some of their own blood collected and stored before having planned surgery that may require they have a transfusion.
• HIV infected people must do away with known causes of immune suppression. Instead they need to execute and use therapies that can curb viral activity and boost the immune system. In this way they will have a better chance of staying well.
• HIV that was present in the body was dramatically decreased in some of the test subjects that were given "AIDS cocktails" that contained two or more of the anti-AIDS drugs. Researchers believe that if treated early enough with the powerful combinations available, future treatments may be able to eliminate the virus and allow the immune system recover.
• Hopefully scientists will develop newer and more effective means of fighting the virus at the many points of its life cycle, thereby making it possible to combine them so that the virus will be suppressed, turning AIDS into a chronic but treatable illness rather than a deadly one. The unresolved question is, if almost perfect viral suppression does become a reality, the immune system will be able to restore itself. The studies on what data has come in is not very clear at this time, evidence from protease inhibitor has been encouraging. It is believed that the new generation of antiviral drugs and their combinations is bringing about a new era of hope in the fight against AIDS.
• Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy treatment is given under a physicians care. This therapy has shown promise in prevention and/or turn around of the wasting syndrome.
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has determined that HIV can evade even the most powerful antiviral drugs and stay hidden until the immune system is jeopardized, as with an infection. Physicians believe that it might be possible to stop the hidden virus by tricking the body into fighting it.
• Malnutrition is a common problem in people with AIDS, this is due to Malabsorption of nutrients. One of the reasons for immune deficiency is that the person suffers from a lack of quality protein and insufficient calories.
• One possible sign of a HIV infection would be a chronic, frequent vaginal yeast infections. These should be checked by a physician.
• People living with HIV and AIDS are being offered more hope than ever before due to worldwide efforts to eradicate HIV through research, drugs, vaccines, health programs, and nutrition. Present drug therapies are making advances in bringing the disease under control. A Couple of examples of this are: In the United States the number of HIV related deaths dropped from 16,516 in 1997 to 13,210 in 1998. AIDS dropped from the top fifteen causes of death in American for the first time since 1987. However, this hope brings new concerns. Researchers believe there will be an increase in the number of resistant strains of the AIDS virus that cause the "AIDS cocktails" combination to become ineffective. 10 to 50 percent of the high level cases of the virus return. It is surmised that as much as 4.5 percent of the 40,000 new HIV infections each year are resistant to current drugs. A huge concern is that some people will become complacent by the drugs abilities to subdue the virus, and forget to take their medications on a regular basis or stop taking them altogether, then have the virus flare up again.
• People with AIDS have a problem with acute weight loss. N-acetylcystein and L-carnitine have shown hope in the prevention or turn around of this syndrome.
• Physicians have different ideas as to when treatment should be initiated with nucleoside analogues and/or protease inhibitors or even which agent is the best for each person. It would be in your best interest to work with a physician that you trust. There is a colossal amount of research in progress on AIDS and its possible new treatments, new drugs, and new advances to different aspects of the disease are happening all the time.
• Research is presently being done on the possibilities of phytonutrients in the blue-green algae Spirulina being used in the fight to cure AIDS. So far studies are showing that these compounds seem to stop the AIDS virus from adhering to or entering cells. Spirulina also is known to have properties for maintaining energy.
• Researchers have found that Maitake extract is helping T cell cultures from being killed by HIV by 97% in a test tube. In 1998 the FDA approved Phase II clinical trails of Maitake.
• The FDA, The CDC, and the American Dental Association have joined forces in impelling dentist to autoclave (sterilize by steam under pressure), dental tools and accessories between patients so that contaminants will be destroyed. The FDA also requires that all such equipment be manufactured to endure autoclaving, and be labeled with directions for the autoclaving procedure. It is best to check with the dentist as to what preventative measures they are doing before you make an appointment. About 128 Americans have already been infected with HIV by dentists or physicians.
• The following antiviral drug research is now being conducted: Anti-sense compounds. By bonding on to threads of viral DNA or RNA, these drugs "gum up" thereby stopping the virus's genetic instructions. Cellular Targets. These compounds impede factors in the immune cells that HIV must have to replicate, and how promise in hampering the virus's capability to reproduce. The cancer chemotherapy drug hyroxyurea (Hydrea), is one of the compounds that seems to be particularly effective when used in combination with ddI. Cyclophilin Inhibitors. These impede the fusion of infected and uninfected cells. Glucosidase Inhibitors. These substances break apart the structural integrity of sugars in the viral coat. Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors. These are enzymes that the retrovirus uses, such as HIV to make duplicates of its genetic material, that will then be absorbed into the infected cells. The virus would then in turn effect normal immune cells into laboratories that would continue to make duplicates of viral DNA. The thought is that if you stop the reverse transcriptase, you restrain the virus.
• The World Aids Conference that was held in Japan in 1994, reported that approximately 10,000 people worldwide are AIDS survivors. This means that these people have been free of AIDS symptoms and are living normal lives that has lasted for years. Currently, studies are being done on these survivors in the hopes that a cure for HIV can be found. There have been those that were diagnosed with full blown HIV that are now negative, which means they are free of the virus. Medical researchers are studying these people and regularly checking their blood for signs of this disease. More information on this subject can be found in the book: They Conquered AIDS! True Life Adventures by Scott Gregory and Biance Leonardo (True Life Publications, 1989)
• There is evidence that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) plays a role in improving immune competence.
• Treatment of HIV is being tried with drugs that are trying to block duplication of the virus which would slow down the progression of HIV, and taking vigorous measures needed to fight opportunistic infections and cancers. There have been successes in the medical field finding treatments to fight opportunistic infections more so than fighting the actual virus. Presently, the accepted treatment of anti-HIV drugs is a combination therapy approach, by using two or more drugs that work in opposite ways. Combination therapy so far has been proven to work better than using one medication or type of medication.
• There are presently two categories being used to target HIV. These are Nucleoside analogues and Protease inhibitors.
  
  * Nucleoside analogues work by replacing one of the building blocks of the virus as it attempts to duplicate, thus blocking the virus's attempts to clone. A combination of letters and numbers that are derived from their initial chemical names are commonly used for these drugs. For example zidovudine (Retrovir), known as AZT; zalcitabine (HIVID), known as ddC; didanosine (Videx), known as dd1; stavudine (Zerit), known as d4T; and lamivudine (Epivir), better known as 3Tc. The primary drug to treat HIV infection is AZT. It has been very beneficial in preventing the transmission of the virus from an infected woman to the fetus while pregnant or during birth. The other options to AZT have since been discovered to work well with AZT in most cases. The drugs seem to extend survival and curb the progression from the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection to full-blown AIDS in some people. Usually AZT and one or more of the other drugs are used in combination, thought they can be used alone. Some of the adversities would be the possible toxicity in the case of AZT and disagreeable side effects.
  
  * Protease Inhibitors work by attaching to and barring the action of a viral enzyme, protease, which has a central role in the duplication of HIV. If protease is kept from advancing its normal action, the virus cannot duplicate. Great promise is seen with this class of drugs in some of the studies, when used to treat HIV infection. They are mostly used as an addition to the treatment with AZT or another of the nucleoside analogues. Examples of protease inhibitors are: indinavir (Crixivan), ritonavir (Norvir), Saquinivir (Invirase), and agenerase (Amprenavir).

• Add these vegetables to your diet: cabbage, pumpkin, squash, carrots, yams, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli.
• Aid digestion by eating unripened papaya (seeds, too), Aspergillus oryzae (a fungus), and fresh pineapple. These fruits provide much needed proteolytic enzymes, which can also be obtained through supplements. These enzymes significantly aid digestion.
• Be wise in your food choices. Food borne illness is extremely harmful to someone with HIV/AIDS.
• Combat infections of the lungs, throat, mouth, and mucous membranes with royal jelly and bee propolis.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (about 75% of your diet). These include lentils, beans, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. Also incorporate non-acidic fruits such as berries, peaches, bananas, melons, and apples. It is important to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables in order to get the most nutrition possible.
• Eliminate food allergies or sensitivities from your diet as they will break down your immune system. You may need to seek professional help with this.
• Fiber is a key part of your diet. The best way to get enough fiber is by taking it in supplement form. The best fiber to take is psyllium husks one day and freshly ground flaxseeds the next. Psyllium is best with water. Best to consume it before it thickens. Remember always to take other supplements and medication apart from fiber supplements.
• Find a physician who knows a lot about how to treat patients with HIV/AIDS. This will strengthen chances of living longer by almost 100%.
• Fresh air and lots of rest are key components of your health. Include sunshine sparingly.
• Help your body eliminate toxins by drinking steam-distilled water only. You should consume 8 or more 8-ounce glasses each day, whether you "feel" thirsty or not. Your body needs it.
• Incorporate lycopene into your diet by eating cooked tomatoes. The cooking actually doubles the benefits of lycopene.
• Juice is also a key part of this diet. Green Drinks, made from kale, beet greens, and spinach, are very beneficial. Also drink juices made from carrot and beet root, with onion and garlic.
• Learn all you can about HIV/AIDS. Research as much as possible so as to stay informed of new developments and treatments.
• Nutrition is very important. Make sure you are getting enough nutrients. Patients with HIV often need these nutrients in greater amounts.
• Onions and garlic should be eaten daily. A garlic supplement can be substituted for fresh garlic.
• Positive test results for HIV should be confirmed by a second test. Once confirmed, the patient should determine ways to enhance his immune system, as this will be his foremost method of preventing further disease. In order to boost his immune system, the patient should eat healthy and implement certain helpful supplements into his diet. He should also look for ways to limit the amount of stress in his life, along with exercising regularly. He must keep a positive attitude and be sure to keep his environment healthy.
• Refrain from alcohol and other things that cause liver damage.
• Retention enemas using coffee or fresh wheatgrass will help in removing toxins from the body. They will also give needed nutrients.
• Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi mushrooms should also be eaten regularly. These can be taken as supplements, as well.
• Stay away from cigarette smoke as much as possible. Do not smoke.
• Stay away from excess soy as much as possible. Some soy (like soybeans and soy products) is needed as to provide necessary protein.
• The following should be taken out of your diet completely: sugar, sugar products, salt, saturated fats, animal protein, caffeine, junk food, colas, foods with additives and coloring, peanuts, processed refined foods, and white flour.