Study Links Antioxidant-Rich Foods to Reduced Cervical Cancer Risk in Women

A recent study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics suggests that women with higher dietary antioxidant intake may have a lower prevalence of cervical cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from 1,044 US women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2018. Among them, 174 had cervical cancer, and 870 did not. The investigators assessed participants’ dietary antioxidant intake using the Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI), a validated measure based on dietary recall information.

After adjusting for potential factors that could influence cancer risk, researchers found that higher CDAI scores were associated with a lower prevalence of cervical cancer. Each one-unit increase in CDAI was associated with an 11.4% lower prevalence of cervical cancer.

The difference was particularly notable when women were divided into three groups according to their antioxidant intake. Those in the highest CDAI tertile had a 55.8% lower prevalence of cervical cancer compared with women in the lowest tertile.

Further analysis showed a linear inverse association, meaning that cervical cancer prevalence tended to decrease as dietary antioxidant intake increased.

Antioxidants are found naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. These compounds can help counter oxidative stress, which has been implicated in cellular damage and several disease processes. However, the study does not establish that antioxidants directly prevent cervical cancer.

The researchers emphasized that the findings demonstrate an association rather than a cause-and-effect relationship. Because the analysis was based on observational data and dietary intake was assessed through recall, factors such as overall diet, lifestyle and other health characteristics may have influenced the results.

The authors concluded that dietary antioxidant intake may potentially contribute to cervical cancer prevention, but prospective studies are needed to confirm the association and determine the biological mechanisms involved.

REFERENCE: Lang, M., et al. (2026). Association between Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index and cervical cancer: A population‐based cross‐sectional study. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.71276.