In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 1078 HIV-infected, pregnant women from Tanzania were followed for a period of six years. The women were divided into four groups who were given one of the following:
- A multi-vitamin supplement consisting of a vitamin B complex (20 mg. B1, 20 mg. B2, 25 mg. B6, 100 mg. B3, 50 mcg. B12), 500 mg. vitamin C, and 30 mg. vitamin E.
- A similar multivitamin supplement plus vitamin A.
- Vitamin A.
- Placebo (ineffective tablets).
All groups were given 0.8 mcg. vitamin B9 (folic acid), an iron supplement, plus weekly treatments with malaria medicine which is a normal procedure for pregnant women in that area. By contrast, only very few people infected with HIV have access to HIV medicine in Tanzania; at least this was the case at the time when the study was carried out.
Still, many people will find the study unethical because it so clearly offends several of the clauses of the Helsinki declaration regarding the ethical considerations that should be maintained in studies involving the use of trial subjects.
271 women were given multivitamins and of these, 18 developed AIDS. Among the 267 women in the placebo group, 31 developed AIDS. The multivitamin group had fewer vira in their body than the other groups and moreover experienced fewer sequelae such as tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, oral ulcers, and upper respiratory infections.
For some reason, vitamin A in single doses or in combination did not present any advantages in the study. In these groups 23 and 22 people, respectively, developed AIDS. Antioxidants normally has the best effect in combination with other antioxidants through strengthening the immune system and - as the study seems to indicate - contributing to weakening the viral ability to procreate.
Previous, smaller so-called observational studies have also indicated a beneficial effect from providing multivitamin-mineral supplements to people infected with HIV.
Reference:
Fawzi WW, Msamanga GI, Spiegelman D, et al. A Randomized Trial of Multivitamin Supplements and HIV Disease Progression and Mortality. NEJM 2004; 251: 23-32.
