[Nutritional counseling to patients with HIV infection. Can nutritional intervention prevent, expose or relieve symptoms in HIV-positive persons?].

Patients with HIV-infection often exhibit progressive loss of weight and poor nutritional status. The problems, which may appear during all stages of the HIV-infection, may be explained by low intake of food or selected nutrients as a result of anorexia and eating problems, and by impaired gastro-intestinal function and increased metabolic rate following secondary to opportunistic infections or the HIV-infection itself. The extent of weight loss and depletion of body cell mass is discussed in relation to the possible effect on development of the disease and time of death in AIDS-patients. Compromising on nutritional status may have a negative effect on the outcome of treatment, and may lead to malnutrition-related immune depression and rates of infection. Nutrition issues are of vital importance to HIV-infected persons. Although nutrition does not promise of a "magic bullet", dietary counselling and nutritional intervention may prevent cachexia and alleviate some symptoms of the disease.