Vitamin E May Be a Lifesaver For Treating Liver Disease in HIV Patients

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, J.D., Founder

Vice President Mike Pence was recently appointed by President Trump to spearhead the administration’s response to the widely feared and talked about coronavirus. And there are various opinions as to whether he is qualified to do this.  Many people may also not agree with some of Pence’s past remarks about worldwide health problems.

In an op-ed back in 2000, Pence wrote, "Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill." 

Studies continue to confirm that some 80 to 90 percent of lung cancers are caused by smoking.

Health Myths vs. Health Facts

And back in 2016, Pence said that condoms are a “very, very poor protection” against sexually transmitted diseases. 

The reality is that condom use is absolutely critical in the prevention of contracting STDs, including another widely feared and talked about virus - the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

According to a review conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “...condoms are protective against HIV infection,reducing the probability of HIV transmission per sex act by as much as 95% and reducing the annual HIV incidence in serodiscordant [when one person in a sexual relationship is HIV positive and the other is not] couples by 90-95% when used consistently.”

Be informed.

We recently discussed the coronavirus and ways you can be proactive instead of panicking. Now, I want to discuss ways to be proactive if you are HIV positive. Of course, the coronavirus and HIV are two very different viruses, but it is still important to be informed about both of them. There is no known treatment for either of these viruses, which is why it is extremely important to know how to best manage them. 

We’ve come a pretty long way in the fight against HIV when you consider that back in the 80s, being diagnosed with HIV basically meant a death sentence. Now with the proper medication and a healthy lifestyle, HIV has become much more manageable.

But there is still a lot of stigma surrounding this disease and misinformation floating around out there. And there are a lot of things about having this virus that people may be unaware of if they don’t have it or have a friend or loved one who does.

For example, you may not know that it is very common for people with HIV to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

(Causes of fatty liver usually include abuse of alcohol and drugs, being overweight or obese and leading a sedentary lifestyle. But in the case of HIV, it’s different).

Managing fatty liver in HIV patients.

“The burden of liver-related morbidity remains high among HIV-infected patients, despite advances in the treatment of HIV and viral hepatitis. Especially, the impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is significant with a prevalence of up to 50%. The pathogenesis of NAFLD and the reasons for progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are still not fully elucidated, but insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction and dyslipidemia [abnormal level of cholesterol or lipids (fats) in the blood] seem to be the main drivers,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NASH, a severe form of NAFLD, may lead to cirrhosis or even liver cancer. The good news, however, is that recent research has shown that administering vitamin E to HIV patients may be very effective at treating the liver disease often associated with having this virus.

(“HIV/AIDS patients are probably more predisposed to vitamin E deficiency, considering that they are more exposed to oxidative stress. Additionally, there are an extensive number of drugs in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens that may interfere with vitamin E concentrations,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)).

In one recent study, 27 HIV patients with NASH “...were given vitamin E in an easily-tolerated dose of two pills per day,” according to one report discussing the study.

(Vitamin E is an antioxidant and nutrient that helps protect cells from damage and helps the immune system fight off infections. This vitamin is also important for making red blood cells and maintaining healthy eyesight. Foods such as sunflower seeds,almonds, avocado, mango and broccoli are all good sources of vitamin E).

"We found that vitamin E improved both liver transaminases (the main blood tests for liver function) and liver fat measured by a non-invasive ultrasonographic test," said one of the lead doctors of the study.

This all just goes to show that, once again, nutrients such as vitamins and minerals have the potential to be lifesaving. If a patient with HIV is battling a fatty liver, vitamin E may be just what this patient needs. It’s an added bonus that vitamin E therapy may help replenish the vitamin E an HIV patient may lose from taking necessary antiretroviral therapy drugs.

More research is still needed, but if you or someone you know is battling HIV and liver disease, speak with your doctor or a competent healthcare professional about vitamin E supplementation.

You might also want to consider taking advantage of IV vitamin drips or injections. These are great for fighting off infections such as the common cold, stomach bug or even coronavirus, which are things that people with HIV are at a greater risk of catching due to having a compromised immune system.

Cryotherapy may also help boost immunity, but if you have HIV or AIDS, you definitely want to first speak with your doctor about trying alternative treatment methods.

For more information on how to be proactive about managing HIV, read here. And for pertinent information about HIV support groups, click here.

Enjoy your healthy life!