UM researchers recently published new findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine that suggest a powerful antioxidant could play a significant role in HIV treatment. They focused their National Institutes of Health-sponsored study on selenium, a trace mineral found in the soil that is common to many vegetables that are part of a healthy diet.

Selenium deficiency is a complication of HIV disease, often leading to an increase in viral virulence, a decrease in the body’s natural killer cells, and a progression of the disease.

Patients with HIV are living much longer, largely as a result of antiretroviral therapy, but those side effects often lead to metabolic and cardiovascular problems. And even if patients adhere to a strict regimen of their medications, complete control of the virus over time is unlikely.

“Keeping in mind that antiretrovirals are not the complete answer, the goal of our study was to evaluate the effect of selenium supplementation on serum selenium levels in the body and the subsequent impact on HIV-1 viral load and helper T cell or CD4 count,” says Barry Hurwitz, Ph.D., professor of psychology and medicine at the UM Behavioral Medicine Research Center and lead author of the study.

“This study showed that selenium is a beneficial treatment that can be used as a safe adjunct therapy in combination with ongoing HIV treatments to ensure that the chance of further disease progression is minimized,” says Hurwitz.