In 1997, Dr. Ethan Will Taylor and his colleagues in the Departments of Medical Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, discovered HIV-1 had a gene identical to the human gene coded for the for the production of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase.^1,2 To prove the identified HIV-1 gene enabled viral production of this selenoenzyne, Taylor and colleagues³ cloned the gene and inserted it into animal cells. As a consequence, the modified animal cells greatly increased their production of glutathione peroxidase. This result proved beyond any reasonable doubt that HIV-1 competes with seropositive individuals for the nutrients necessary for the production of glutathione peroxidase.

Concurrently, Dr. K.D. Aumann and co-workers of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Padova, Italy^4-6 began a detailed study of the nature of the glutathione peroxidases, determining that they "are characterized by a catalytically active selenium which forms the center of a strictly conserved triad composed of selenocysteine, glutamine, and tryptophan". In short, the enzyme HIV-1 is encoding for consists of a combination of one trace element (selenium) and three amino acids (cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan).

In 2000, Dr. Harry D. Foster,^7-10 of the Department of Geography, University of Victoria, brought forth the theory that as HIV-1 replicates it must remove selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan from seropositive individuals. An enormous body of literature shows AIDS patients are very deficient in these four nutrients and supports Foster’s theory.^11-33 Beyond this, the symptoms caused by the individual deficiencies of these nutrients are well known. Selenium inadequacy, for example, promotes Keshan disease (a cardiomyopathy). Tryptophan deficiency leads to dementia. Foster argues AIDS magnifies the impact of the overlapping of these four sets of deficiencies, caused because HIV-1 encodes the glutathione peroxidase and so robs its victims of selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan (Table 1).

If Foster’s theory, as supported by the literature, holds true, then this is a case where replenishing selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan should reverse AIDS, and possibly prevent its recurrence.

Foster’s theory provides the potential of a readily accessible and affordable therapy for AIDS patients in both developed and developing nations.

The testimony of informal individual use of this nutritional protocol in Victoria, Canada and in a physician-directed trial currently underway in Botswana strongly suggests that it does. Below are comments from individuals involved:

1. "Dear Dr. Foster,

I am writing to thank you for your advice about selenium and other nutrients to take for HIV and Hep C. As you know my partner has HIV, and Hep C. He has also been sick with Hep A and B due to his past lifestyle as an IV drug user. The road to recovery has been a long and exhausting one, but I credit the information you shared with us as part of what has helped him to lead a healthy life now. He is back to work by the way, and his viral load is undetectable. He looks healthy again.

My partner began taking the cocktail while still using cocaine, heroin and other drugs, as well as drinking his face off. The alcoholism at first got worse as he sought to replace harder drugs with beer. During this time he had full blown AIDS and it seemed certain he would be dead soon despite the cocktail prescription.

After talking to you and reading your book together, we focused on nutrition, specifically getting the Selenium into him, and also me as an extra protection against exposure to the viruses. We also understood better the relationship between the drugs and alcohol and the progression of his diseases. Even after the HIV seemed to be under control, his Hep C was really bothering him. As he learned to take better care of himself nutritionally, and eventually managed to quit all substances with the help of NA, he seemed to be on the road to health. Within a few months his viral load was again undetectable.

When he went travelling and was unable to access either the cocktail or the nutrients he quickly became ill again. By the time he came home he was once again quite sick, full blown AIDS. However after returning home and once again taking selenium and the other nutrients you suggested, as well as returning to the cocktail, he quickly got better. This time the improvement happened over a period of weeks.

He once again mentioned that he believed one of the nutrients he was taking because of your book also helped him in the fight against his cravings. I don’t know if this was his imagination or real, but it might be worth looking into.

Once again thanks for your help."

2. Excerpts from an email sent to Dr. Foster, by a Canadian vitamin/mineral company that set up a trial of nutrient treatment for AIDS, based on Dr. Foster's theory, in Botswana, reads:

"I picked two candidates personally who have fully blown AIDS with relevant symptoms like diarrhoea, skin rash, loss of weight and a lack of appetite. One of these candidates has a severe complication of syphilis which has slowed his recovery somewhat, but still within two weeks of trials his skin rash, diarrhoea, and fatigue have all but disappeared. The lady candidate gained 3 kg in two weeks and now "eats like a horse". She resumed work last Tuesday after several weeks of absence. I am gaining confidence in this treatment by the day and I hope the same would apply to the remainder of the trial candidates".

and,

"A lady that started the regimen three weeks back has just tested NEGATIVE for HIV and her CD4 count has shot up from 500 to 700!"

3. Excerpts from a later email sent to Dr. Foster from the same Canadian vitamin/mineral company freely distributing select nutrients, following Dr. Foster's theory, to doctors in Botswana directed to give them to patients with AIDS and to record their progress, reads:

At this time, a larger formal clinical trial of Foster’s theory is being arranged. The trial will involve simple, inexpensive, easy-to-administer, common pharmaceutical products.

Based on Foster’s theory, one could expect to reverse all the obvious symptoms of an AIDS patient in one month or less, at a cost of $100 or less, per patient.

Updates on this trial will be posted as soon as they are available.

For information on products developed by Dr. Foster, please contact: info@fosterlabs.com

1. Taylor E.W., Nadimpalli R.G., Ramanathan C.S. Genomic structures of viral agents in relation to the biosynthesis of selenoproteins. Biol Trace Elem Res 1997; 56(1): 63-91.
2. Taylor E.W., Bhat A., Nadimpalli R.G., Zhang W., Kececioglu J. HIV-1 encodes a sequence overlapping env. gp41 with highly significant similarity to selenium dependent glutathione peroxidases. Journal of AIDS and Human Retrovirology 1997; 15(5): 393-394.
3. Zhao L., Cox A.G., Ruzicka J.A., Bhat A.A., Zhang W., Taylor E.W. Molecular modeling and in vitro activity of an HIV-1-encoded glutathione peroxidase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2000 June 6; 97(12): 6356-6361.
4. Maiorino M., Aumann K.D., Brigelius-Flohe R., Doria D., van den Heuvel J., McCarthy J., Roveri A., Ursini F., Flohe L. Probing the presumed catalytic triad of a selenium-containing peroxidase by mutational analysis. Z Ernahrungswiss 1998: 37 Suppl 1: 118-131.
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17. Look M.P., Rockstroh J.K., Rao G.S., Barton S., Lemoch H., Kaiser R., Kupfo B., Sudhop T., Spengler U., Sauerbruch T. Sodium selenite and N-acetylcysteine in antiretroviral-niave HIV-1-infected patients: a randomized, controlled pilot study. Eur J Clin Invest 1998; 28(5): 389-397.
18. Shabert J.K., Winslow C., Lacy J.M., Wilmore D.W. Glutamine-antioxidant supplementation increases body cell mass in AIDS patients with weight loss: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Nutrition 1999; 15(11/12): 860-864.
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