Guest guest Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 > 20 Jul 2004 14:00:15 -0000 > Selenium Conquers AIDS? > press-release > > > The Institute of Science in Society Science Society > Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > ======================================================== > > > ISIS Press Release 20/07/04 > > Selenium Conquers AIDS? > *********************** > > Sam Burcher reports on a nutritional hypothesis with > > possible implications for prevention and treatment > of the > global pandemic > > A fully referenced version of this article is posted > on ISIS > members' website > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/AidsandSeleniumFull.php > > Details here > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php > > > During the last decade, research has indicated an > important > geographical link between regions of selenium > deficient > soils and peak incidences of HIV/AIDS infection. > AIDS > disease appears to involve a slow and progressive > decline in > levels of the trace element selenium (Se) in the > blood along > with CD4 cells, which are both independent > predictors of > mortality. > > AIDS infection in Africa has reached pandemic > proportions > with over a quarter of the population said to be > suffering > from the disease in some areas, although there is > debate > over how the WHO has extrapolated their statistics > (see > " African Aids epidemic? " SiS 22). Figures from > Harvard in > the United States put infection rates as follows: > Zimbabwe > 25.84%, Botswana 25.10%, Zambia 19.07%, South Africa > 12.91%, > Côte D'Ivoire 10.06%, Tanzania 9.42%, Ethiopia > 9.31%, and > Congo 4.31%. > > But Senegal in West Africa has the lowest numbers of > AIDS > prevalence at 1.77% in the general population, and > 0.5% in > antenatal clinic attendees along with the highest > levels of > selenium-enriched soil. Geologically, Senegal is > situated in > the desiccated or dried up Cretaceous and early > Eocene Sea, > and the land is formed from sedimentary rocks from > dissolved > minerals in the evaporating seawater. Consequently, > calcium > phosphates are one of the country's mined mineral > products > used for fertilizers, and are derived from the > selenium rich > phosphorite. Senegal can also claim the lowest level > of > cancers on the African continent. > > Geographical disease pattern analogies made by Prof > E.W. > Taylor, University of Georgia, suggest that AIDS, > Karposi > Sarcoma and cancers are rife in regions of selenium > depleted > soils and that this has further implications in the > seemingly unstoppable spread of AIDS incidence > worldwide. > > Depleted selenium in soil creates disease > > In China, selenium deficient regions are known as > the > Chinese " disease belt " . Here, the daily average > intake of > selenium is less than 10 micrograms. This contrasts > with > parts of the US and Canada where daily selenium > intake is > 170 micrograms. Viral diseases such as Coxsackie's > B3, > hepatitis B and C, and HIV/AIDS are all on the > increase. > Coxsackie B3 is further complicated by a heart > condition > known as " keshans " , which is endemic in " disease > belt " > areas. Since the introduction of selenium-enriched > fertilizers onto soils and crops and into feedstocks > and > table salt, there has been a decline in keshans. > > A three year study of an entire town in Jiangsu > Province > where 20 847 residents were given table salt > fortified with > selenium showed that hepatitis infection decreased > to 4.52 > per 1 000 compared to 10.48 per 1 000 in communities > using > regular table salt. The same researchers concluded > that a > 200-microgram daily dose of selenium-yeast > supplement > significantly reduced primary liver cancer > associated with > hepatitis B and C. It appears that death rates from > viruses > such as hepatitis, Coxsackie B3 and associated heart > > diseases like keshans can be greatly reduced by > increasing > dietary selenium intake and would be similarly > effective in > slowing the progress of AIDS deaths. > > The selenium CD4 T cell 'tailspin' > > Prof Harold Foster of the University of Victoria in > Canada > has named the link between the viral diseases of > HIV/AIDS, > Coxsackie's and hepatitis B and C, " The selenium CD4 > T cell > tailspin " , as a way of describing the relationship > between > selenium and the human immune system. Adults and > children > with advanced AIDS syndrome display both highly > depleted > selenium plasma stores and reduced CD4 Cell counts. > Foster > argues that the fall of selenium levels trigger the > reduction in CD4 cells, which in turn cause further > decline > in serum selenium. > > Retroviruses like HIV depress selenium levels in > their hosts > by encoding the gene for the human selonenzyme > glutathione > peroxidase. This allows the virus to replicate > indefinitely > by continuously depriving the host of glutathione > (an > inhibitor of reverse transcriptase,) and the four > basic > components of glutathione peroxidase: selenium, > cysteine, > glutamine and tryptophan. As levels of selenium > decline so > do CD4 cells which allow " opportunistic " pathogens > to invade > the immune system and further deplete levels of > selenium and > CD4 cells in a positive feedback loop whereby if one > > variable declines, it causes further depression in > the > other. This downward spiral compromises the ability > of the > immune system to defend the body from infection, > which plays > a significant role in AIDS mortality. > > Foster is currently treating dozens of HIV/AIDS > patients in > Africa using a protocol of the four nutrients - > selenium, > cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan. He says that the > > treatment of HIV/AIDS with nutrition is similar to > " curing " > type-1 diabetes with insulin. When high doses of all > four > nutrients are administered to patients, deficiencies > > dissolve, as do the symptoms associated with AIDS. > Patients > have been able to return to work within one month of > > receiving nutritional treatments. Treating primary > nutritional deficiencies with selenium and essential > amino > acids costs approximately $10-$15. See Box 1. > > As HIV/AIDS sufferers are often extremely deficient > in all > four nutrients associated with glutathione > peroxidase, the > " selenium CD4 T cell tailspin " hypothesis which > describes > HIV/AIDS as a disease of nutrient deficiency caused > by a > virus may explain how HIV progresses to AIDS. > > The American AIDS expert Dr Roberto Giraldo said at > a recent > seminar in South Africa that AIDS can presently be > conquered > and curtailed although not totally cured through the > > adequate ingestion of appropriate micro-nutrients in > > sufficiently large doses, such as vitamins, amino > acids and > minerals. > > The cause of progression of HIV to AIDS is still > unknown, > but the role of nutrition and supplementation in the > > prevention and treatment of the disease cannot be > ignored. > Prof Luc Montagnier (the co-discoverer of HIV) > states that > AIDS is characterised by a persistent oxidative > imbalance > and a decrease of glutathione. Changes in > biochemical > markers cause systemic oxidative stress and damage > and > Montagnier believes that antioxidants are useful in > inhibiting viral replication and associated > apoptosis in > HIV/AIDS patients. > > The role of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in boosting > immunity > > Glutathione (GSH) is the ubiquitous tripeptide > essential for > the function of all cells. Studies show that low GSH > levels > increases HIV replication and impairs T cell > function that > can lead to a progression of HIV disease. And oral > administration of the GSH-producing drug N-acetyl > Cysteine > (NAC) improves survival rates in HIV/AIDS patients. > NAC > helps the body to synthesise glutathione and is > beneficial > in protecting lung tissue through its antioxidant > activity > as well as supporting nerve cells, and is effective > in > treating liver failure where drug toxicity is > indicated. NAC > also counteracts apoptosis (cell death) and helps > maintain > and replenish the HIV damaged CD4 T lymphocytes, > crucial for > dampening the progression of HIV to AIDS. > > NAC supplement is recommended to HIV/AIDS sufferers > who are > receiving anti-retroviral treatments as well as > those who > are not. There is growing evidence that HIV/AIDS > patients > want alternative and non-toxic immune-boosting > treatments, > but would prefer them to be prescribed by the > doctors or > health care professionals. Despite billions of > pounds spent > on AIDS research very little funding or research is > allocated for the provision of these types of > treatment on > the NHS. > > Raising glutathione levels encourages the immune > system to > go into anti-cancer and anti-viral mode by replacing > > decreased levels of plasma cysteine, a major source > of > sulphur. Patients with advanced HIV infection have > tryptophan levels at less than 50% of those in age > and > gender matched controls and boosting levels of > tryptophan > can enable to body to synthesise serotonin and > niacin which > protect against dementia. Improving glutamine levels > can > alleviate depression and improve digestion by > increasing > intestinal cell proliferation, and intestinal > fluid/electrolyte absorption, which can help combat > diarrhoea. > > The cause of selenium depletion in soil > > Three major factors have contributed to selenium > depletion > in the soil. Acid rain is caused by large quantities > of > sulphur and nitrogen that convert into sulphuric and > nitric > acids in the atmosphere and changes the capacity of > soil to > bind elements at pH neutral or slightly alkaline. > The > altered pH balance increases bioavailability of > certain > elements and decreases that of others including > selenium. > Heavy metals in rainfall also contain mercury, which > can > combine with selenium to produce the insoluble > mercury > selenide. Soil acidification therefore lowers the > abundance > of selenium in the global food chain, which may have > > contributed to the rapid increase of cancers and > HIV/AIDS. > > Chlorofluorocarbons are unique to the latter half of > the > 20th Century and have contributed to the thinning of > the > ozone layer, which causes an excess of ultraviolet B > > radiation. Overexposure to ultraviolet light > decreases > helper T-lymphocytes and increases suppressor > T-lymphocytes > making the individual more susceptible to diseases. > > Chemical pollutants also play a role in altering the > immune > function and lowering host resistance to pathogens. > The > World Health Organisation estimate that there are > 500 000 > pesticide related illnesses and 20 000 deaths per > year. > Scientific studies on PCB's show that glutathione > peroxidase > activity is depressed and induces apoptosis of pre > B- > lymphocytes in the plasma of animals. > > Whey protein, a derivative of milk production > routinely > discarded by the diary industry contains all the > essential > and non-essential amino acids necessary to improve > immunity > by increasing glutathione levels in the blood. Oral > supplementation of whey proteins can also help to > combat > wasting associated with AIDS. > > A wide variety of nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, > herbs > and minerals such as copper, zinc, and selenium are > clearly > beneficial in slowing death rates in the HIV > infected > individual. And vitamins A, C and E can help to > reduce the > oxidative stress and viral load that characterises > HIV/AIDS > sufferers. This is especially important in areas > where > combination therapies are unavailable > > Worryingly in Europe, moves are afoot to prohibit > the sale > of fourteen forms of selenium including organic > forms, > selenium yeast and selenomethionine if the EU > Directive on > Food Supplements comes into force in August 2005. > > A geographical perspective into the possible causes > for the > late 20th century phenomenon of AIDS is welcome > adjuvant in > the absence of a conventional vaccine or safe > affordable > treatments for all. > > > Box 1 For a healthy person a daily supplementary > intake of > 50-200mg of selenium (Se) is safe, but for someone > with a > compromised immune system an increase of 100% may be > > necessary to improve selenium plasma levels. Where > soil > quality is good and produce fresh, the four > essential > nutrients in preventing and fighting HIV/AIDS and > other > viral diseases are found in these foods: > > Selenium - Brazil nuts, garlic, mushrooms, liver, > round > steak. Lobster, shrimp, cod, crab, herring, oysters, > tuna. > Barley, whole wheat, egg noodles, Brewers yeast. > > Cysteine - Duck, turkey, pork, wheatgerm and > yoghurt. > > Glutamine - Sausage meats, ham, bacon, cottage > cheese and > ricotta cheese, wheatgerm > > Tryptophan - Ham and beef, eggs, almonds, salted > anchovies, > Parmesan and Swiss cheeses. > > > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation > dedicated to providing critical public information > on > cutting edge science, and to promoting social > accountability > and ecological sustainability in science. > > If you would prefer to receive future mailings as > HTML > please let us know. If you would like to be removed > from our > mailing list at > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mailinglist/.php > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, > London > NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] > [44 20 > 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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