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Dr. Rath Health Foundation

Immune Deficiencies

The alternatives to toxic ARVs are available. For decades, the textbooks of biology and biochemistry have been documenting the essential role of vitamins and other micronutrients for optimum immune function. This knowledge has been banned from being applied to fight immune deficiencies / AIDS for one reason only: to allow the development of a multi-billion dollar investment market with patented ARV drugs.

After millions of people have already died as a result of

  1. not having access to this life-saving information about micronutrients in the fight against AIDS
  2. from taking toxic ARVs, which do not lessen immune deficiences – but aggravate it instead
  3. from a combination of the above causes

it is time to present the encouraging results of the first micronutrient programme in the global fight against AIDS:
 

Micronutrients as an Effective, Safe and Affordable Approach to Help Control AIDS

Matthias Rath , M.D.*, Maud August, M.D.**, Raxit Jariwalla , Ph.D.*, Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, Ph.D.*#

Objectives: Malnutrition  in particular micronutrient deficiencies  are a major contributing factor to the continued spread of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the developing world. Moreover, micronutrient deficiencies are aggravated by AIDS-related symptoms including chronic diarrhoea, weight loss, fever and opportunistic infections. The community health education programme conducted by the South African National Civic Organization (SANCO) in Khayelitsha, Cape Town , created an opportunity to evaluate the effect of a defined micronutrient programme on the course of AIDS related symptoms in HIV positive patients.

Natural Health Programme : One hundred community members with AIDS were selected by community health professionals in this natural health programme. The participants included adult HIV positive men and non-pregnant women with advanced AIDS symptoms (stage 2 and 3 of the 4-stage grading according to the Center for Disease Control, CDC). None of the participants was or had been taking antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). The micronutrient programme consisted of a combination of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids and polyphenols from green tea, supplied in the form of tablets. At the beginning of this natural health programme and after 4 and 8 weeks of taking the nutritional supplement, a physician examined the patients. In addition, their health status was assessed with the aid of a graded questionnaire for AIDS-defining symptoms and general health.

Results : In those participants who completed the entire 8 week micronutrient programme a substantial reduction of the AIDS-defining symptoms was observed. Specifically, micronutrient supplementation was associated with a statistically significant decrease of fever episodes, weight loss, diarrhoea, severity of tuberculosis related symptoms in those patients infected with TB as well as the occurrence of fungal and other opportunistic infections. Daily micronutrient supplementation also significantly reduced other symptoms associated with AIDS including sores, colds, nausea, fatigue, depression, headache, skin rashes, swollen glands, joint pain and numbness in the extremities (hands or feet). There were no adverse side effects related to the intake of nutritional supplements.

Conclusion: The micronutrients evaluated in this pilot community health programme offer an effective, safe, affordable natural health approach to halt the progression of AIDS-defining symptoms. Moreover, unlike any other health approach currently used, micronutrients offer the opportunity to reverse AIDS-related symptoms and significantly improve the health of AIDS patients. Thus, micronutrient supplementation should become the basis of public health strategies in the global fight against AIDS. The immediate implementation of these findings by national governments as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) would save millions of lives it would provide valuable time for the international research community to find lasting solution to end AIDS.

Read the complete study online