Cervical Cancer: Nutritional Considerations

In population studies, two nutritional factors have been linked to reduced risk for cervical cancer:

• Fruits and Vegetables: Studies suggest that fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cervical cancer, perhaps by suppressing HPV infection.
  
  Some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables that have been associated with a decreased risk include vitamin E, folate, vitamin C, and many carotenoids (e.g., alpha–carotene, beta–carotene, lycopene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin).
  
• A healthy body weight: Obese women appear to have a modestly higher risk for a type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma, which represents 15 percent of cervical cancers. The overall mortality from cervical cancer is also higher for obese patients.