Hiv Infection Aids

HIV Infection (AIDS)

He was a desperate man, dying of AIDS. His body was weak, his money was gone, and a friend had come to see me, asking, "What can we do?"

They had tried every standard medical treatment, but the AIDS patient's T-cell count was still going down. T-cells are part of the immune system. When a person has AIDS, the T-cells are eventually wiped out, leaving the person wide open to opportunistic infections.

I gave him my standard answer: "I am a botanist, not a doctor. I do not prescribe medicine."

"But Jim," the friend begged. "What would you do if you had AIDS? There must be something herbal you'd take."

The Herbal Approach

There were indeed several things, and I shared them with him. If I had AIDS, I said, I would brew a tea containing St.-John's-wort, oregano, self-heal and hyssop and generously sweeten it with licorice. I might still take the proven immune boosters, echinacea and astragalus, even though their use is not so widely recommended any more. Finally, I'd eat a lot of garlic and onions.

I don't know if the man with AIDS tried any of my suggestions, as I never heard from his friend again. Maybe he and his "friend" were one and the same.

Herbs, of course, can't cure AIDS. Anyone infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes it should certainly be under a doctor's care. The new combinations of antiviral medications now actually reduce the amount of virus in the body and help prolong life. And several of the opportunistic infections, particularly AIDS-related pneumonia, can be both prevented and treated.

But in addition to treatments prescribed by physicians, I'd also suggest that people who are HIV-positive try certain immune-stimulating herbs. I believe that they help. You should be aware, however, that some researchers have suggested that boosting the immune system also increases the ferocity of the HIV attack on it. Based on what's now known, however, I don't find that view persuasive yet.

Personally, I would go the nutritional and immune-stimulant route, especially if my T-cell counts seemed to respond well. I would encourage anyone with HIV infection to keep abreast of the latest research and act according to the latest and best findings.

Green Pharmacy for HIV Infection

By all means, discuss with your doctor any herbs that you want to try. Here are several that might prove helpful.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Licorice tea is active against many viruses. The active constituent in licorice (glycyrrhizin) can inhibit a number of processes involved in viral replication, such as a virus's ability to penetrate host cells and change their genetic material.

In studies, there are indications that glycyrrhizin inhibits the growth of HIV in the test tube. A few clinical trials have also produced intriguingly positive results.

In one study of people who were HIV-positive but without AIDS symptoms, Japanese scientists claim that glycyrrhizin delayed the appearance of symptoms related to HIV.

In another report, people with hemophilia who had gotten the HIV infection from blood transfusions were given glycyrrhizin for more than a month. During that time, the amount of virus in their blood decreased considerably, suggesting that the herbal compound might inhibit HIV replication in people.

Finally, glycyrrhizin seems to reduce side effects from AZT.

If I had HIV, I'd add a one-ounce piece of licorice root to a quart of any of my herbal teas, or I'd just chew on the root. Others might prefer taking standardized commercial preparations several times a day.

While licorice and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts--up to about three cups of tea a day--long-term use or ingestion of larger amounts can produce headache, lethargy, sodium and water retention, excessive loss of potassium and high blood pressure.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and self-heal (Prunella vulgaris). Many AIDS deaths are fundamentally caused by a process known as oxidative stress, according to New York AIDS researcher Howard Greenspan, M.D. This kind of stress is the result of significant damage done to the body's cells by harmful oxygen molecules known as free radicals.

Dr. Greenspan suggests that increasing antioxidant intake can help maintain immune function in those who are HIV-positive. (antioxidants are substances that mop up free radicals by neutralizing their ability to do damage.) His reasoning is persuasive. If I had HIV, I'd drink plenty of antioxidant teas, particularly those made from self-heal and oregano, the herbs with the most antioxidants among the 60 I've studied. Better yet, sweeten these teas with licorice to improve their flavor and get the additional benefits of glycyrrhizin.

St.-John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum). This herb contains hypericin and pseudohypericin, compounds that are antiviral. These compounds have been shown to be active against HIV, at least in the test tube. In fact, a mixture of hypericin and several derivatives has been patented as a treatment for cytomegalovirus infection, one of the many opportunistic infections that can strike people with AIDS.

Researchers apparently still have a lot of work to do before they understand the full therapeutic value of these two compounds in treating HIV. In test-tube and animal studies, pseudohypericin has been shown to reduce the spread of HIV. While a few surveys of people with AIDS have suggested some value for hypericin, the data are iffy, and we'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, you can try taking St.-John's-wort. I'd use a tincture made from the whole herb and take 10 to 30 drops in juice several times a day.

St.-John's-wort contains MAO inhibitors. People who are taking MAO inhibitors, or using herbs that contain them, on a regular basis need to avoid certain foods (alcoholic beverages and smoked or pickled foods) and medications such as cold and hay fever remedies, amphetamines, narcotics, tryptophan and tyrosine. You should not take St.-John's-wort if you're pregnant, and you should avoid intense sun exposure while using it, since this herb can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Aloe (Aloe vera). There is some evidence that acemannan, a potent immune-stimulating compound found in aloe, may be beneficial in treating AIDS.

In test-tube studies, acemannan was shown to be active against HIV. Acemannan may also reduce requirements for AZT, thus minimizing the side effects of that potent drug.

The recommended amount of acemannan is up to 250 milligrams four times a day. Much higher doses (up to 1,000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day) have caused no toxic effects in dogs and rats. And according to the American Foundation for AIDS Research, "pilot trials have not revealed any toxic effects in man."

It takes about a liter of aloe juice (about a quart) to provide 1,600 milligrams of acemannan. I personally shudder at the thought of drinking almost a liter of aloe juice a day. But if I had HIV, I might feel differently. You can buy the juice at most health food stores, but don't try to prepare your own. The juice can have an overly powerful laxative effect if not prepared properly.

Astragalus (Astragalus, various species). Known as huang qi in China, this immune-boosting herb is the Asian answer to America's echinacea.

Astragalus has no demonstrated anti-HIV effect that I know of, but it's safe. If I had HIV, I would give it the benefit of the doubt based on its known potent antiviral activity against a wide range of other viruses.

In one study, ten people with serious viral infections showed low levels of natural killer cells (NKCs) in their bodies. NKCs are special white blood cells that attack disease-causing microorganisms. The study participants were given injections of astragalus extracts for four months. Compared with people who did not receive the extract, their NKC activity increased substantially, other components of their immune system perked up, and their symptoms improved. I believe that oral preparations have a similar effect.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia, various species). Based on its folkoric use, I suspected for years that the Maryland state flower, the black-eyed Susan, might be as strong an immune stimulant as the various species of echinacea. My hunch was confirmed by a research report saying that root extracts indeed do a better job of stimulating the immune system than do extracts of echinacea.

If I had AIDS, I'd make a tea with five teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water and drink a cup two or three times a day.

Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus). Compounds found in this herb reportedly have anti-HIV activity. I would not hesitate to steep about five teaspoons of this herb in a cup of boiling water and drink it two or three times a day.

Burdock (Arctium lappa). According to the Lawrence Review of Natural Products, a respected newsletter, burdock juice or extracts show test-tube activity against HIV. Not too long ago, I enjoyed a dish I called Gobo Gumbo (gobo is the Japanese name for burdock). The recipe is on page 267.

Burdock Burdock contains compounds that may be active against HIV.

Echinacea (Echinacea, various species). Also known as coneflower, this daisylike native of the Great Plains is one of the best immune-stimulant herbs. The active constituents appear to be caffeic acid, chicoric acid and echinacin, all of which have antiviral properties similar to those of interferon, the body's own antiviral compound. Recent evidence shows great promise for chicoric acid as a treatment for this disease.

Echinacea also increases the body's levels of a healing compound known as properdin. Properdin helps infection-fighting white blood cells reach infected areas in the body.

There is some disagreement over which of the three main echinacea species (E. angustifolia, E. pallida and E. purpurea) is best. Herbalist Paul Bergner, editor of Medical Herbalism, suggests mixing all three. I agree.

If I had HIV, I would not hesitate to make a tea with five teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water and drink it two or three times a day. But for most people, it's easier to add a dropperful of tincture to juice a few times a day. (Although echinacea can cause your tongue to tingle or go numb temporarily, this effect is harmless.)

Most herbalists advise against taking echinacea daily. They maintain that the immune system eventually becomes accustomed to the herb and that the herb ceases to have a stimulating effect. If I had HIV, I'd probably take echinacea daily for a week or two, then stop taking it for several days, adopting this as an ongoing pattern.

Garlic (Allium sativum). Clinical trials have shown garlic to be effective against several of the opportunistic infections of AIDS, including herpes and pneumocystis pneumonia. Researchers have also found evidence that the compound ajoene, found in garlic, may inhibit the spread of HIV within the body.

Eating three to five cloves of garlic a day is helpful in preventing opportunistic infections, according to herbalist Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., director of the Immune Enhancement Project in Portland, Oregon, and author of Garlic as the Central Herb Therapy for AIDS.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). Hyssop tea contains a compound called MAR-10. Studies have shown that in test tubes, this compound inhibits HIV replication with no toxicity to healthy cells. The researchers who discovered this effect speculate that hyssop might be useful in treating people with HIV.

It's too early to know for sure, but I've found no reports showing that hyssop causes any harm, even in large doses. If I were HIV-positive, I'd mix a few teaspoons of the dried herb into my herb teas.

Hyssop Another member of the extensive mint family, hyssop was commonly used as an air freshener in seventeenth-century Europe.

Onion (Allium cepa). Onion is one of our best sources of the antioxidant compound quercetin, which is most highly concentrated in onion skin. Onion is also a close relative of garlic and has many of the same antiviral effects.

If I had HIV, I would eat lots of onions. And whenever I made soups or stews using onions, I'd leave the skin on to get the full benefit of the quercetin. (You can fish out the skin just prior to serving.)

Pear (Pyrus communis). If I had HIV, I'd eat a pear a day. This fruit is one of the better sources of caffeic and chlorogenic acids. Caffeic acid is an immune stimulant, and researchers have found that chlorogenic acid has activity against HIV. (These compounds can also be found in lesser amounts in apples.)

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Elderberry has an age-old reputation as a remedy for viral infections, and it is being studied for activity against HIV. I suspect it has some.

If I had HIV, I'd eat lots of elderberries. Elderberry is a common shrub in America, and the fruit is sometimes processed into jams and jellies. Talk about a nice way to take your medicine!

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). The oil of this herb (EPO) is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). In studies done by researchers in Tanzania, the life expectancies of people who were HIV-positive were more than doubled by adding GLA and beneficial oils known as omega-3 fatty acids to their diets.

GLA can be obtained from four different food plants: evening primrose, borage, currant and hops. Most people take two to four capsules of EPO a day. What do I do? I grind up the seeds and add them to cornbread or soup.

Fish is the best source of omega-3's, but you can get them from plant sources as well, including flaxseed, purslane, butternut squash and walnuts. (Vegetarians take note.)

Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica). University of Illinois scientists have found that compounds isolated from Iceland moss inhibit an enzyme that's essential to replication of HIV. AZT and three other AIDS drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration do the same thing, but it's been shown that these drugs are toxic and do not completely inhibit the virus. The moss constituents, on the other hand, were found in laboratory studies to be nontoxic to cells. I feel this is a safe food pharmaceutical and I would not hesitate to add it to soups or salads.

Assorted fruits and vegetables. In addition to taking a number of the herbs mentioned in this chaper, I would also pay particular attention to nutrition and eat lots of fruits and vegetables if I had HIV. A study by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley showed that if people who are HIV-positive eat more fruits and vegetables, it takes them longer to develop the opportunistic infections of full-blown AIDS.

Legume nodules. If I were taking AZT, I would also consume a few legume nodules, the little "capsules" of bacteria scattered along the roots of most legumes.

Legume nodules are reportedly the best vegetable source of a compound called heme iron. Studies show that heme boosts the anti-HIV activity of AZT. I have never seen legume nodules for sale, but I grow a lot of beans, and I have uprooted them and taken the nodules like capsules. There's no pleasure in this, as they don't taste good. But that's Nature's way of discouraging an overdose of these iron-rich nodules. Of course, if your doctor tells you that you have iron overload, you should avoid this therapy.

Vitamins and minerals. Studies suggest that using nutrition to boost the immune system may prolong the lives of people with AIDS as effectively as some of the drugs used to treat it.

antioxidants are especially recommended, including vitamins C and E, the vitamin A­like nutrients beta-carotene and lycopene and the mineral selenium. Selenium is plentiful in Brazil nuts, and the others can be found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Personally, I prefer foods to supplements, but these nutrients are certainly available in supplements. If I had HIV, I would definitely consult a clinical nutritionist.