Can a healthy diet help mitigate Cervical Cancer?

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Certain foods may help protect you against cervical cancer. While there is no such thing as a magical food that will keep you cancer-free, a diet high in flavonoids, folate and carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables can help the body fight the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection – a major cause of cervical cancer.

A study published in the journal Cancer Research found that certain chemical compounds — indicating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables — helped prevent the progression of persistent high-risk HPV infection to cervical cancer. Experts suggest a plant-based diet made up of nutritious foods rich in flavonoids, folate and carotenoids in all meals throughout the day.

Flavonoids are chemical compounds in fruits and vegetables that are thought to be a leading source protection against cancer. A few examples of flavonoid-rich foods include apples, asparagus (shatavari) black beans (kala ghewda), broccoli, cabbage, cranberries, garlic, lettuce, lima beans (pavta), onions, soy and spinach.

Foods rich in folate, a water-soluble B vitamin, may help reduce the risk of cervical cancer in people with HPV. Folate helps the body to stop recurring HPV infection, thereby, reducing the risk of developing cancer. Foods rich in folate include avocados, chickpeas (kabuli chana), fortified cereals and breads, lentils, orange and strawberries.

Carotenoids are a source of vitamin A and are also helpful in preventing cervical cancer risk. Apart from the aforementioned fruits, vegetables, and beans on the lists above, you could also include foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin in your diet.

While the diet is an important part of an overall cancer prevention plan, it cannot prevent cervical cancer by itself. Cervical cancer is primarily a lifestyle cancer and a dietary change is not enough to prevent cancer. More important is leading a healthy lifestyle which should include:

·         Getting annual Pap smears to screen early detection of cell changes
·         Vaccination against HPV
·         No smoking
·         Being monogamous

Taking the above steps and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can help you keep your cervical cancer risk low.

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