Antioxidant Levels Linked to Higher Risk

An Oregon-based professor of veterinary medicine, A. Morrie Craig spent over 40 years teaching toxicology and veterinary medicine at a top university in the state. While there, he conducted plenty of research on major plant toxins found in the western United States. Doctor Morrie Craig also researched antioxidants, which are compounds linked to detoxifying the body and boosting overall wellness. A recent study revealed the antioxidants' effect in lowering HPV infection.

Published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in April 2021, the study was done by researchers at the Louisiana State University Health New Orleans Schools of Public Health and Medicine. It revealed that five antioxidants were linked to a lower risk of infection with some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). These strains are associated with the development of cervical cancer in women and are known as oncogenic or high-risk HPV stains. Nearly every cervical center diagnosis is connected to a previous infection with at least one high-risk HPV strain.

The current research looked at vaginal HPV infection status in over 11,000 women between the ages of 18 and 59. These women participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2016. Alongside HPV infection status, researchers also looked at 15 antioxidant levels in these women. They found that lower serum albumin levels, folate, and vitamins A, E, and B2 were linked with a higher risk of HPV infections.