In research published in the International 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.

Source:

Journal 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. https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijgo.71276