Nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplementation in HIV-positive people.
BACKGROUND
Many consumers with chronic diseases attempt to take control of their health by using dietary supplements. The objective of this study was to describe current nonvitamin, nonmineral (NVNM) supplement use of HIV-infected persons in the Nutrition for Healthy Living (NFHL) cohort, the financial burden that buying these supplements might pose to this population, and to review current literature on potential interactions between NVNM supplements.


METHODS
At baseline visit, participants were educated by a registered dietitian on keeping a complete 3-day food record (including all supplements) for 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day. Seventy-two subjects reported consumption of NVNM supplements, and their food records were reviewed in detail.


RESULTS
Each of the 72 subjects in this study used a mean of 6 NVNM supplements, which may have been in the form of a pill, powder, bar, or liquid. The 6 most common were glutamine (51%), N-acetyl-cysteine (36%), fish oil (33%), alpha-lipoic acid (32%), acetyl-l-carnitine (28%), and coenzyme Q10 (28%). Participants were also taking an average of 4 vitamin/mineral supplements; the 6 most common were multivitamin/multimineral (83%), vitamin E (51%), vitamin C (47%), vitamin B complex (43%), calcium (29%), and selenium (28%).


CONCLUSIONS
With a total of 107 different types of NVNM supplements, our estimated cost examples indicated a weekly supplement regimen cost of between $25 and $40 dollars. According to literature review, taking an NVNM supplement may involve some risk because many components have not been studied and these products are not tightly regulated.
Cambridge Health Alliance at Cambridge hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. MRSansevero@hotmail.com
Mara R
MR
Sansevero
Robert
R
Houser
Grace
G
Phelan
Christine
C
Wanke
Alice
A
Tang
Kristy
K
Hendricks
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004046:Dietetics; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D018565:Food-Drug Interactions; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors