Cervical cancer is very common in women, occurring in the organ that joins the vagina to the uterus, known as the cervix. In most cases, some strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus and it is detected by Pap smear tests. That is why it is recommended for women to have regular Pap smear tests to check for cervical cancer. By changing a few things about your diet, you can steer yourself clear of the risk of cervical cancer. In order to prevent cervical cancer with diet, you will need to make some simple lifestyle modifications.
Diet and lifestyle modifications for preventing cervical cancer
- Quit smoking – Smoking women are at a much higher risk of getting cervical cancer than those who do not smoke. The substances that you inhale with smoke contain carcinogens which accumulate in the cervical mucus.
- Have aloe vera juice – Have a lot of aloe vera juice as it has high amount of vitamins as well as amino acids that help your liver from in preventing the development of carcinogens from toxins. Three cups of aloe vera juice daily, half an hour before meals is recommended.
- Have avocados – Other than normalising your hormones, this fruit contains some phytochemicals that are effective in destroying precancerous cells as it activates functional oxygen of the cells. This happens without any harm to the normal cells. One avocado a day is preferable.
- Have folic acid – It was proven in a study undertaken in University of Alabama of Birmingham that women who did not take enough of folic acid had increased risk of getting cervical cancer than women who did. A deficiency of folic acid in the body’s cells makes women more susceptible to the carcinogens. Lentils, spinach, beans and asparagus are some sources of folic acid. Make sure you eat enough to get 400 mcg of folic acid daily, as recommended by doctors.
- Drink green tea – Some antioxidants present in green tea prevent cancer cells from multiplying. This property of green tea was researched and a report was published in Journal of Cellular Biochemistry that green tea can help to prevent cervical cancer. A study undertaken by University of Arizona stated that people who have HPV can reduce their chances of having cervical cancer by having green tea. So, start sipping green tea as it is one of the healthier foods that prevent cervical cancer.
The relation between cervical cancer prevention and diet would be clear once you embark on a healthy lifestyle with the diet modifications recommended above.
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