WWW- Multivitamin supplements taken once a day can delay the progression of HIV disease, according to new research.

In a 8 year study consisting of 1078 pregnant women from Tanzania infected with HIV, researchers found that vitamins significantly slowed down the progression of HIV and provided a low-cost means of delaying the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected women.

The study found vitamin B complex, C and E provided the most benefits. Vitamin A alone had no significant effects on clinical outcomes. However, the researchers point out that adding vitamin A to the multivitamin supplement may reduce the benefit and could possibly be harmful.

Study participants taking a multivitamin consisting of vitamins B, C, and E lowered their progression risk or death risk by about 30 percent, compared to those receiving a placebo. “Other benefits included significant reductions in reported fatigue, rash, and acute upper respiratory tract infections”, the researchers wrote.

The findings by study lead author Dr. Wafai Fawzi, are published in the the New England Journal of Medicine.