The argument for increasing selenium intake.  Margaret P. Rayman, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2002; 61:203-215 “ Selenium seems to be a crucial nutrient for HIV-infected subjects. It is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication. ” “Good selenium status may protect against HIV progression by maintaining host immune competence.” “selenium appears to be a key nutrient in counteracting certain viral infections; thus, in a selenium-deficient   host….HIV infection progresses more rapidly to Aids.” “in a selenium-deficient host, harmless viruses can become virulent.” “plasma selenium is a strong predictor of the outcome in HIV infection.” “More than twenty [scientific] papers report a progressive decline in plasma selenium paralleling the ongoing loss of CD4+T-cells in HIV-1.” “low levels of plasma selenium were significantly and independently related to mortality and faster [HIV]   disease progression.” “ viruses may be capable of hijacking the selenium su...