Dave Miller, who is HIV positive, Describes 'Clinical Neglect' of AIDS Nutrition
In this article in Chronicillnet.org, Dave Miller argues for a supplement made with whey proteins called Immunocal which he says is effective in staving off malnutrition and starvation associated with AIDS; Miller says that neglect of nutritional supplements, some of which are covered by Medicaid, is 'clinical neglect.'
(My note: California requires AIDS and HIV-positive people be offered nutritional counseling; I do not know of any other states that do so.)
"Immunocal is basically whey protein, which is often used by body builders," Miller explains. "People with AIDS need to become body builders. Immunocal puts weight on people like nothing else on the planet. For six months, I have been Immunotec Research's Clinical Trial Coordinator for HIV. Immunocal is now covered by Medicaid in most states, and a clinical trial with a major pharmaceutical company is about to begin."
That clinical trial will enroll 100 patients, half of whom will be on HAART alone, and half on HAART plus Immunocal.
Miller also explained that, when patients develop wasting syndrome, they develop mutated viruses (the "minority subspecies" Miller describes). Why? Because they can't absorb medications, just as they can't absorb nutrients from food.
In addition to staving off starvation, Immunocal raises glutathione levels. Glutathione is a major antioxidant, that is, a substance that fights free radical damage in cells. Although the free radical theory of disease and aging is not universally recognized by the medical profession, it is gaining much more widespread acceptance. Basically, the theory is this: Assaults that damage cells"like viruses, bacteria, radiation, toxic chemicals, or drugs"produce free radicals, molecules that lack an electron, and so are biochemically unbalanced. These free radicals then scavenge throughout the body, trying to steal an extra electron from another molecule and so become balanced again. In the process, however, they do considerable damage to the molecules (and cells) they attack. Antioxidants stop free radical damage. Many vitamins are antioxidants, including common vitamins like C and E, and more exotic-sounding substances like alpha-lipoic acid. Glutathione, while not a vitamin, acts as a powerful antioxidant.
"Most AIDS patients have free radical scavenger ratios that are out the window, it's obscene," says Miller. "Clinicians don't have any experience in prescribing antioxidants or nutritional support. Most AIDS patients have vitamin A deficiencies. How expensive is it to give patients a vitamin A pill every day? AIDS patients have vitamin B12 deficiencies, yet how many of them are getting daily B12 shots? Twelve and one-half percent, nation-wide. Is B12 covered by Medicaid, nationally? Yes. This is total, complete clinical neglect."
"This lack of nutritional maintenance is particularly terrible for children with AIDS. By the time a clinician gives nutritional support to a sick child, the kid has probably lost 50% of his or her body weight, and is suffering from horrible, explosive diarrhea. At that point, it's very hard for any kind of nutritional support to be really effective; it has to be given to them earlier."