HIV-Positive People Turn to Supplements

HIV-positive patients spend an average of $815 annually on vitamins, herbs and supplements, according to a study published in the Nov. 9, 1998, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The most commonly reported reason for using nutritional supplements was to fight infection, boost immunity, and treat weight loss, nausea and diarrhea.

Of 180 patients who reported using complementary and alternative therapies, almost 68 percent said they use a variety of herb, mineral or vitamin supplements. Nearly 600,000 U.S. adults and adolescents are infected with HIV.