David Patient has lived almost half of his 43 years as an HIV-positive South African, defying all medical odds. What's even more unusual: This healthy man takes no anti-retroviral drugs for his condition. Instead, his only weapons have been a hardy dietary plan and an unbending will to live. Defying the experts, his regimen has been more than enough.

Currently, Patient is touring Africa to share his ideas with other HIV-positive people. His ideas and passion for sharing them is sorely needed. Some 26 million people with HIV live in the region of Africa south of the Sahara Desert alone, or more than half of the people with HIV in the world.

Rather than encourage fellow individuals with HIV to follow the typical plan, which includes condom use, Patient emphasizes nutrition that improves their immune systems, extends their lives and lowers their chances of infecting loved ones.

Instead of advocating medications or supplements, Patient's courses show people how to boost their immune systems by eating local produce containing high levels of zinc, beta carotene and selenium. According to many experts, HIV-positive sufferers can expect to live about eight years before developing AIDS.

With the right nutritional plan, Patient believes HIV patients can extend their lives by four years.

The advocate has also blasted African leaders for failing to taking stronger steps, including moving far too slowly to provide anti-retroviral medications to their people.

Although he doesn't need them, Patient also believes anti-retroviral drugs should be made more available on one condition: People must have better access to the right foods so these medicines can work the right way, or the situation merely worsens.

Because researchers have been fascinated with Patient's longevity, he has been asked to provide samples for studies whose goals include finding the common traits of HIV survivors.

Although Patient has conquered many obstacles, the internal struggles still hurt. More than a thousand friends died during the first decade Patient was infected. That triggered a "survivor's guilt" because he was alive.

Nevertheless, Patient isn't surprised he's lived so long because, in his words, except for smoking, he'd done everything possible to bolster his health.

Yahoo News June 29, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

A cure hasn't been uncovered, but there are still some simple and practical ways to keep your immune system strong. Nutrition is a key factor in fighting any illness, and one of the most important steps is to avoid sugar and grains. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, so it is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something. I believe that most people's health is improved by avoiding all grains, including durum flour and semolina from which most pasta is made. You can obtain most of your fiber from vegetables, which is a far healthier choice. For all the steps to building your immune system to its peak levels, which is by far the most effective way to avoid all kinds of chronic disease, consider my book "The Total Health Program," which presents my entire dietary and health program that took 20 years to develop and has helped more than 20,000 patients at my clinic overcome illness and disease. Because this virus attacks the immune system, it is of utmost importance to keep your body as healthy as possible to slow down the progression of the disease. Following a nutritious eating plan is definitely a huge step in the right direction. Related Articles: Potential HIV Vaccine Crop in Development First Real Cure for AIDS? How Selenium Supplementation Might Help AIDS in Africa HIV Thrives in the Gut Potential HIV Vaccine Crop in Development HIV Does Not Cause AIDS