Eating antioxidant-rich foods may help reduce cervical cancer risk

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-19 17:01

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Women who eat a diet richer in antioxidants may be less likely to develop cervical cancer, according to US research. The researchers used survey data from a US health and nutrition survey to compare the diets of 174 women who had a history of cervical cancer with 870 healthy women of similar demographics - looking for the consumption of antioxidants through foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, herbs and spices. The researchers say that after accounting for other cancer-linked lifestyle factors, including smoking and weight, the more antioxidants the women ate, the less likely they were to have had cervical cancer. The researchers say further studies need to be done to better understand this link and why antioxidants may play a role in cervical cancer risk reduction.

News release

From: Wiley

Can antioxidant foods help prevent cervical cancer?
In research published in theInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, a diet high in antioxidants was linked with a lower risk of cervical cancer in women.

In the study, investigators analyzed 2003–2018 data from 1,044 US women participating in the National Health and Examination Survey: 174 with and 870 without cervical cancer. With these data, the team looked for an association between cervical cancer and the Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI)—a validated composite score that reflects an individual’s intake level of dietary antioxidants, based on dietary recall interviews.

After adjusting for other factors that might affect cancer risk, the researchers found that each 1-unit increase in the CDAI was associated with a 11.4% lower prevalence of colorectal cancer. Participants in the highest CDAI tertile had a 55.8% lower prevalence of cervical cancer than those in the lowest tertile. Additional analyses indicated a linear inverse association between the CDAI and the prevalence of cervical cancer.

“These findings suggest that dietary antioxidant intake may play a potential role in the prevention of cervical cancer. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm this association and clarify the underlying mechanisms,” the authors wrote.

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Journal/
conference: International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, China

Funder: National Key Clinical Specialty Construction Project, Grant/Award Number: U114000

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