Living with HIV

Good nutrition is about finding and maintaining a healthy eating style. Good nutrition supports overall health and helps maintain the immune system. It also helps people with HIV maintain a healthy weight and absorb HIV medicines.

HIV attacks and destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight off infections. People with HIV take a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV treatment regimen) every day. The medicines prevent HIV from destroying the immune system. A healthy diet also helps strengthen the immune system and keep people with HIV healthy.

In general, the basics of a healthy diet are the same for everyone, including people with HIV. Some general recommendations include:

• Eating a variety of foods from the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy.
• Eating the right amount of food (measured in calories) to maintain a healthy weight.
• Choosing foods low in saturated fat, sodium (salt), and added sugars.

To learn more about healthy eating, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) MyPlate.gov website.

HIV and HIV medicines can sometimes cause nutrition-related problems. For example, some HIV-related infections can make it hard to eat or swallow. Side effects from HIV medicines, such as loss of appetite, nausea, or diarrhea, can also make it hard to stick to an HIV regimen. 

If you have HIV and are having a nutrition-related problem, talk to your health care provider. Otherwise, to avoid nutrition-related problems, people with HIV must also pay attention to food safety.

Food and water can be contaminated with germs that cause illnesses (called foodborne illnesses or food poisoning). Food safety is about how to select, handle, prepare, and store food to prevent foodborne illnesses. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides guidelines on the minimum food temperatures to use when cooking to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Water quality is also important because most people drink and cook with water. While there are many regulations in the United States to help make sure people have access to clean water, it’s important to read local water quality reports and to test your own water supply to make sure you aren’t consuming harmful germs or chemicals.

Because HIV damages the immune system, foodborne illnesses are likely to be more serious and last longer in people with HIV than in people with a healthy immune system. Following food safety guidelines reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses.

If you have HIV, follow these food safety guidelines to reduce your risk of foodborne illnesses:

Do not eat or drink the following foods:

• Raw eggs or foods that contain raw eggs, such as homemade cookie dough
• Raw or undercooked poultry, meat, and seafood
• Milk, dairy products, and fruit juices that are unpasteurized

Follow the four basic steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

• Clean: Wash your hands, cooking utensils, and countertops often when preparing food.
• Separate: Separate foods to prevent the spread of any germs from one food to another. For example, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from foods that are ready to eat, including fruits, vegetables, and breads.
• Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure that foods are cooked to safe temperatures (see the FDA’s Safe Minimal Internal Temperature Chart).
• Chill: Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, or other foods that are likely to spoil within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing.

For more information, visit the FDA’s Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases webpage. If you are planning a trip outside the United States, read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) recommendations on Traveling With HIV.

From the Health Resources and Services Administration:

• Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care: Nutrition

From the CDC:

• Living With HIV
• Water Quality and Your Health

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Living With HIV: Nutrition and Exercise

From the USDA:

• MyPlate.gov

Also see the HIV Source collection of HIV links and resources.