Has the herbal medicine for HIV / aids been proven effective?

HIV / AIDS is a chronic disease that has yet to be completely cured. To control their symptoms, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) must undergo life-long treatment. However, not a few people living with HIV / AIDS complement their HIV / AIDS treatment with herbal medicines as support for improving their health.

Types of herbal medicine for HIV and AIDS (HIV / AIDS)

Here are some herbal remedies that are reported to help increase the body's resistance to fighting infections that cause HIV and AIDS. Some of the herbal remedies below are also believed to be able to treat symptoms.

1. Aloe vera

A 2012 study in Nigeria published by the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine said aloe vera has potential as a natural remedy in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.

This study looked at 10 young women who were HIV / AIDS positive but could not be treated with antiretrovirals because of the risk of side effects from the HIV drugs.

For one year, all the women were asked to drink 30-40 ml of aloe vera juice daily, for the results compared to HIV patients treated with ARV therapy.

A year after the observation, the group of women who routinely drank aloe vera juice experienced an average weight gain of 4.7 kg, almost equivalent to the group taking ARV drugs (up 4.8 kg).

The aloe vera juice drinker group also appeared to have an increase in the number of healthy CD4 cells, with an average of 153.7 cells / μL while patients on ARV therapy were 238.85 cells / μL.

In general, the above studies do not mention any significant side effects from consuming aloe vera.

However, the truth of the benefits of aloe vera as an herbal remedy for HIV has yet to be confirmed with further research on a larger scale.

2. Gandarusa (Justicia gendarussa)

In 2017, a study from Journal of Natural Product discovered the potential of gandarusa plant extract (deer leaf or lattice) as an herbal medicine for HIV and AIDS.

A shrub with a Latin name J usticia gendarussa known to contain the compound pantethiflorine A (anti-HIV arylnaphthalene lignan glycoside). These compounds are believed to be able to help prevent the HIV virus from replicating in the body.

Researchers examined the effects of these compounds on the M-tropical and T-tropical HIV-1 viruses.

M-tropism refers to the ability of a virus to attack macrophages. Whereas T-tropism refers to its ability to attack T cells.

Both are white blood cells that are important for immunity.

The results show that these compounds can inhibit the process of HIV infection to immune cells.

Patentivelorin A in herbal plants justicia it is even considered to have a significantly higher inhibitory effect than the drug azido-deoxythymidine (AZT).

Researchers say that patentiflorin A is able to inhibit the action of the reverse transcriptase enzyme. So far, researchers are not sure that herbal plants justicia safe for consumption directly for HIV herbal medicine.

However, the research is sure that with the existence of further research on the plant justicia as a herbal medicine HIV has the potential to help ARV treatment in suppressing the amount of the virus.

3. Salvia leaves

Salvia leaf is one of the plants that is included in the mint leaf family.

Before being used as an HIV drug, these leaves were often used as herbal remedies to treat viral infections.

In fact, these benefits are not just a myth. According to research in the journal Retrovirology, salvia leaf extract is considered to have great potential as a natural HIV remedy.

The results of the study concluded that the saliva leaves were able to fight human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which can cause AIDS.

The study also looked at the ability of salvia leaves to prevent the virus from entering CD4 cells that are targeted for destruction

But unfortunately, there are no studies that examine the effects of saliva leaves as an HIV herbal medicine in humans.

The existing studies are limited to controlled culture tests in the laboratory with tissue samples.

4. Milk thistle

Previous milk thistle commonly used to improve liver function eliminates toxins and waste such as alcohol and excess bile, as well as improve digestion work.

Well, one of the research results from the HIV Medicine Association shows that milk thistle is a herb that can be used as a herbal medicine for HIV and AIDS.

However, the use of these drugs is known to affect the action of antiretroviral drugs.

People with HIV should not take any herbal medicine

There has been quite a lot of research focused on the use of herbal medicines for the development of HIV and AIDS

To be safe, it's always better to consult a doctor first before deciding to undergo any natural remedies if you have HIV and AIDS.

You can also ask your doctor for recommendations about good herbal remedies for people with HIV AIDS, or supplements to increase endurance.

Even so, you shouldn't make natural remedies your main and only therapy. You still have to take ARV drugs regularly.

The reason is, herbal medicine is basically not a patent drug that was created or intended to cure HIV and AIDS.

To date, there is not enough evidence to support the use of natural remedies to treat HIV symptoms according to their stages and reduce infection.

So far, the use of natural HIV drugs has only been recommended to improve the overall health of the body.

If your doctor has allowed you to take herbal medicines, they should still be used with caution.

Don't forget to check complete information on the drug, starting from its safety, how to use it, storage, and the right dosage.

Choosing herbal medicines that are safe for people with HIV

Before buying and consuming arbitrarily, you should first check the authenticity and safety of these herbal medicines.

Make sure the herbal medicines you use in HIV treatment have been registered with the BPOM and are clinically tested. Here's how to be sure:

1. Check the packaging

Research the product packaging first. Make sure the box packaging is not torn, chipped, torn, or dented. Also make sure the medicine container is not punctured, corroded, or leaking.

After that, check when the product was made and when the expiration date is. Also make sure that the following information is included on the labels of all herbal supplements:

• Name of supplement
• Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor
• Complete ingredient list - either in the brochure that is included in the package or listed on the container
• Suggestions for serving, dosage, and amount of active ingredients
• BPOM distribution permit number

2. Read the label

Read carefully the drug information label printed on the package. To test the safety and risks, you can use this list of questions:

• Are there contraindications and restrictions?
• What is the correct way to use it, and is there a dosage limit per day?
• What active ingredients might it contain?
• Do you have any allergies to any of the ingredients listed?
• Does your doctor or current health condition prohibit you from consuming any of these ingredients?
• Are there any restrictions on food, drink, medication, and activities that should be avoided while taking this herbal medicine?

Herbal supplement manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the claims they make about their products are not false or misleading.

However, producers are not required to submit this evidence to BPOM.

3. See the medicine class logo

Based on the provisions of BPOM, traditional medicine is divided into 3 categories, namely herbal medicine, standardized herbal medicine (OHT), and phyto-pharmacy.

In order for an herbal medicine to be declared safe for people with HIV and AIDS, the product must first be scientifically proven its safety through a series of clinical trials.

Herbal medicine must also be tested for dosage, method of use, effectiveness, monitoring of side effects, and their interactions with other medicinal compounds.

Phyto-pharmacy is the only class of herbal medicine that has passed all preclinical and clinical trials in humans.

Therefore, as much as possible, look for supplements and HIV herbal medicinal products labeled "phytopharmaca".

If you are not sure whether the herbal HIV and AIDS medicine you are using is registered and safe or not, check the site

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