The worldwide prevalence of HIV/AIDS was estimated to be 35 million in 2012 (UNAIDS, 2013). Although provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to stop viral progression, complementary approaches to improving the overall health and quality of life among people living with HIV are important secondary objectives. Poor antioxidant status and deficiencies in other micronutrients are common among people living with HIV (Semba and Tang, 1999). HIV contributes to oxidative stress, thus increasing antioxidant demand, and an impaired antioxidant defense system promotes disease progression (Baruchel and Wainberg, ; Pace and Leaf, 1995). Reduced dietary intake and poor absorption of antioxidant micronutrients, secondary to HIV infection, further contribute to negative antioxidant balance and susceptibility to oxidative damage. For these reasons, antioxidant micronutrients have been examined in the context of HIV through observational investigations and clinical trials. Antioxidants are produced endogenously to neutralize reactive oxygen species and prevent excessive oxidative damage. Therefore, exogenous administration of antioxidants may have therapeutic benefits, especially among individuals experiencing persistent oxidative stress. Antioxidant supplementation trials among people living with HIV have been heterogeneous in design and have yielded somewhat conflicting results. This is a review of supplementation trials of antioxidant micronutrients vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium, delivered alone or in combination. The populations of interest were adults and children living with HIV infection. Both ART-nai’ve and populations receiving ART were included. Observational studies related to the nutrients of interest are also briefly summarized.
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