Long-term multivitamin supplementation delays AIDS symptoms

A study published today in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that long-term (24-month) supplementation with multivitamins plus selenium delayed the onset of symptoms for patients recently infected with HIV.

The study was conducted by a group led by Marianna Baum, Professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work along with FIU colleagues Adriana Campa and Sabrina Sales and Harvard University researchers. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"These findings are important for many people infected with HIV, especially mothers who have more time to spend raising their children before they are affected by immune decline and illness," Baum said. "This new insight is very accessible and applicable to all populations across the world."

In Miami-Dade County, one in 57 adult males and one in152 adult females is living with HIV or AIDS according to Florida Department of Health.

The Journal of the American Medical Association promotes the science and art of medicine and the betterment of public health and is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world.