HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is a condition within the immune-health category. This page provides a focused reference for exploring research related to the condition, including work involving Yoga and Selenium.
HIV/AIDS is a condition within the immune-health category, offering a focused starting point for exploring this topic.
This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.
What may help
What studies found for each option, best evidence first.
8 options:3 some evidence5 not enough evidence
MassagepracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
Pooled randomized and non-randomized human studies in people living with HIV reported benefits for anxiety, depression, stress, pain, and quality of life, but no change in CD4+ T-cell count.
Open the Massage pageHatha YogapracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
A 2026 trial in 66 people with HIV/AIDS found reduced perceived stress and improved coping self-efficacy with yoga compared with usual care. A 2018 trial in 73 people in this population tested yoga for stress and substance use.
Open the Hatha Yoga pageYogapracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
In a trial of 66 people living with HIV, 8 weeks of Hatha yoga reduced perceived stress and improved coping self-efficacy versus routine care at week 8 and 1-month follow-up. A review focused on people with HIV who use drugs reported that mindfulness and yoga-based programs were feasible and acceptable, with preliminary findings for stress, anxiety, substance use, and antiretroviral adherence.
Open the Yoga pagePsychotherapypracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
In a randomized trial of 269 people with HIV who smoked, PSF counseling increased biochemically verified abstinence at 36 weeks; improved self-efficacy mediated cessation.
Open the Psychotherapy pageBrisk WalkingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A 2017 pilot study in 35 cART-treated people with HIV/AIDS found improvements in cholesterol and inflammatory markers.
Open the Brisk Walking pageExpressive WritingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A trial tested the practice in 84 newly diagnosed people with HIV; the reported finding does not describe its effects, and the study did not assess contraindications.
Open the Expressive Writing pageHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)practiceNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
One trial found improved body composition with exercise in sedentary older adults with HIV; the finding is specific to that population.
Open the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) pageMindfulness MeditationpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
In an RCT involving 180 people, depression symptoms improved at 8 weeks and perceived quality of life improved at 16 weeks versus a waitlist, while cognitive outcomes did not differ.
Open the Mindfulness Meditation page
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What may help
Interventions recorded as helping with this condition8 listedMost likely to help, from the evidence we have
- →PracticesMassageCertaintyMediumSourceRCT
Pooled randomized and non-randomized human studies in people living with HIV reported benefits for anxiety, depression, stress, pain, and quality of life, but no change in CD4+ T-cell count.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Down Syndrome
- Hiv Aids
Open MassageStudy result
Pooled experimental studies in people living with HIV reported beneficial effects on anxiety, depression, stress, pain and quality of life; no effect on CD4+ T-cell count.
- →PracticesHatha YogaCertaintyMediumSourceClinical
A 2026 trial in 66 people with HIV/AIDS found reduced perceived stress and improved coping self-efficacy with yoga compared with usual care. A 2018 trial in 73 people in this population tested yoga for stress and substance use.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Addiction
- Hiv Aids
Open Hatha YogaStudy result
RCT showing significant reduction in perceived stress and improvement in coping self-efficacy with yoga compared to usual care.
- →PracticesYogaCertaintyMediumSourceClinical
In a trial of 66 people living with HIV, 8 weeks of Hatha yoga reduced perceived stress and improved coping self-efficacy versus routine care at week 8 and 1-month follow-up. A review focused on people with HIV who use drugs reported that mindfulness and yoga-based programs were feasible and acceptable, with preliminary findings for stress, anxiety, substance use, and antiretroviral adherence.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Addiction Drugs
- Hiv Aids
Open YogaStudy result
Systematic review of 5 studies showing mindfulness and yoga-based interventions were feasible and acceptable, with preliminary evidence of reduced stress, anxiety, and substance use, and improved ART adherence in people living with HIV who use drugs.
Low probability(5)
- →PracticesPsychotherapyCertaintyLowSourceRCTLarge effect
In a randomized trial of 269 people with HIV who smoked, PSF counseling increased biochemically verified abstinence at 36 weeks (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.35–4.35); improved self-efficacy mediated cessation.
How big is the effect
Large effectA big difference on average. Check how strong the evidence is.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
Open PsychotherapyStudy result
RCT (n=269) in PWH who smoke: PSF counseling increased biochemically-verified abstinence at 36 weeks (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.35–4.35) and improved self-efficacy, which mediated cessation.
- →PracticesBrisk WalkingCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A 2017 pilot study in 35 cART-treated people with HIV/AIDS found improvements in cholesterol and inflammatory markers.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Hiv Aids
Open Brisk WalkingStudy result
Pilot study showing improvements in cholesterol and inflammatory markers in cART-treated HIV patients.
- →PracticesExpressive WritingCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A trial tested the practice in 84 newly diagnosed people with HIV; the reported finding does not describe its effects, and the study did not assess contraindications.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Hiv Aids
Open Expressive WritingStudy result
Study population of newly diagnosed people with HIV in whom the intervention was tested; no contraindication assessed.
- →PracticesHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)CertaintyLowSourceClinical
One trial found improved body composition with exercise in sedentary older adults with HIV; the finding is specific to that population.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Hiv Aids
Open High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)Study result
Population studied; exercise improved body composition in sedentary older adults with HIV in this trial.
- →PracticesMindfulness MeditationCertaintyLowSourceClinical
In an RCT involving 180 people, depression symptoms improved at 8 weeks and perceived quality of life improved at 16 weeks versus a waitlist, while cognitive outcomes did not differ.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Hiv Aids
Open Mindfulness MeditationStudy result
Significant improvement in depression symptoms at 8 weeks and in perceived quality of life at 16 weeks versus waitlist; cognitive outcomes showed no difference.
What to avoid
Interventions recorded as making it worseNothing in this library is currently recorded as making HIV/AIDS worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
HIV/AIDS is a condition within the immune-health category. This page provides a focused reference for exploring research related to the condition, including work involving Yoga and Selenium. The populations and contexts studied are not uniform, so findings should not be assumed to apply to every person with HIV/AIDS. This information is educational and does not replace care or treatment decisions made with a qualified clinician.
Evidence-backed options
The options associated with HIV/AIDS address different outcomes rather than presenting one consistent treatment approach. Yoga has the clearest time course in the available findings: 8 weeks of Hatha yoga was associated with lower perceived stress and better coping self-efficacy at week 8, with these improvements also present at 1-month follow-up compared with routine care. This evidence came from a clinical study in people with a clinical condition, so its findings relate primarily to stress and coping measures.
Other findings are narrower or less certain. Saccharomyces Boulardii was associated with changes in gut microbiome composition, including a decrease in some species directly correlated with systemic microbial translocation and inflammation. Selenium was evaluated as a daily multivitamin together with 200 μg of selenium in the early stages of HIV disease, with findings related to immunological decline and HIV-related events. The reported CBD regimen was full-spectrum oil twice daily at 1 mg/kg; it had no major effect on health-related quality of life in virologically suppressed PWH, although physical functioning improved.
Population context matters for Vitamin A: no evidence supported supplementation for HIV-infected pregnant women, while regular supplementation in HIV-infected infants and children was associated with lower all-cause mortality and morbidity. For Saccharomyces Boulardii, Selenium, CBD (Cannabidiol), and Vitamin A, the summaries do not specify how quickly effects appeared. Overall, the evidence ranges from a clinical finding for Yoga to low- or very-low-probability findings, and several options were studied in populations whose health status was not specified. These distinctions are important when interpreting relevance to an individual; medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS warrant discussion with a clinician.
What to avoid
St. John's Wort is flagged because it induces CYP3A4, an enzyme involved in how some HIV medicines are processed. This induction can significantly reduce plasma concentrations of protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Lower concentrations may lead to treatment failure and viral resistance, making this concern especially relevant for people using these treatment classes.
SAM-e is flagged for a different, theoretical concern in severely immunocompromised patients. Pneumocystis scavenges SAM from its host, so supplemental SAM-e could potentially support this opportunistic organism. The concern therefore relates to the interaction between SAM availability and susceptibility to opportunistic infection in advanced immune suppression.
These considerations do not apply identically to every person with HIV/AIDS, because relevance depends on immune status and the treatment regimen involved. Anyone with HIV/AIDS should discuss these supplements with a clinician before use, particularly when protease inhibitors or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are part of treatment.