Health Promoting Properties of Vitamins C and D Against HIV Disease Progression, a Narrative Review

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has troubled humankind for many years. The rate of new HIV cases is decreasing steadily, mostly because of safer sexual practices and scientific advances in medicine. However, the number of HIV-related trials has significantly increased, as the search for a definite cure for HIV is still fruitless. Our current treatment options involve antiretroviral therapy (ART) with various drug combinations that lower the patients’ viral load in order for the immune system to reconstitute itself. This way, adherent patients achieve a life expectancy similar to the general population. Besides the established treatment protocols, the focus has currently shifted towards secondary pharmaceutical regimen programs that enhance a patient’s immune system and response to opportunistic infections. Vitamins C and D are easily obtainable even in the developing world and are known to improve an individual’s daily life, with vitamin D enhancing the human immune response and vitamin C having an assisting role in both the immune response and as an important antioxidant. Recently, many studies assessing the effect of these vitamins on the progression of HIV have been performed. We aimed to collect and review these studies in order to determine the necessity of the supplementation of these vitamins in HIV-infected patients, which might complement the existing ART. To this day, the scientific community is conflicted, and more studies must be conducted before a definite conclusion about these vitamins’ effects on HIV patients can be reached.