Proj Inf Perspect. 2000 Aug; (30): 15-8.

Herbs, supplements and HIV.

Vitamins, supplements and herbs have long been used by people with HIV in hopes of helping manage side effects of other therapies and/or improve overall general health. In fact, studies suggest that upwards of 70% of people living with HIV and about 50% of the general population use some form of complementary therapy, with the most common being approaches such as massage or acupuncture. Unfortunately, not many approaches have been studied in people with HIV or been looked at to see how they might interact with commonly used medications, or whether they add to the overall benefits of therapy. Recently, a number of reports have questioned the safety of some complementary approaches in the setting of HIV and beyond.