Question
What food should I eat so that I have a longer life?
23 November 2016. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term, Newly diagnosed.
What kind of food, diet should be taken by hiv patients for longer and healthy life. I am from third world country of south Asia, where lentil and rice is taken as everyday meal. I was recently diagnosed and what to know if I find sufficient calorie, nutrition in such type of food? What should I add as nutritious food?
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
There are no diet recommendations to help your health other than those generally recommended for the general population.
This includes eating a healthy balanced diet, fresh fruit and vegetables, not eating too much sugar, salt, fried food etc, maintaining an active life and avoiding excess alcohol or recreational drugs. Rice and lentils are perfect, as well as some vegetables.
This link has more information about a balanced diet:
https://i-base.info/guides/side/diet-a-balanced-diet-and-your-health
Hi Ashok,
Until recently people didn’t start treatment until their CD4 went below 350. In the UK, this is still the case. So a CD4 of above 500 is great.
With regards to life expectancy, because your CD4 is high your life expectancy is the same as people who are not HIV+. For more on life expectancy please see the following link:
https://i-base.info/qa/9774
It is slightly above 500. Because of country guideline, they do not start treatment until cd4 count falls below 500. I am from third world country, the government distribute ARV drugs free of cost and we do not get it in market . Health infrastructure is not good here and hiv stigma is so high. I can’t disclose my hiv status to anyone. so I can hope to survive maximum 5 years, not more than that. I finished my life because of first mistake of my life!
Hi Ashok,
Do you know what your CD4 count is? Is there any reason why you are not on meds?
I was very thin before diagnosing hiv and now I have lost more weight. I am not on .medicine yet. What should I do to increase my weight.