HPV) is in the health news a lot these days — and for good reason. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection today. As a virus, HPV is also incredibly versatile, with over 100 different strains.
Of course, not all the variations of HPV infection are dangerous; some are fought off by your immune system before any harm is done. Other forms of the virus, on the other hand, could lead to cancers in the reproductive organs of both men and women, or the throat. As much as 75% of sexually active people are likely to get at least one genital HPV infection in their lifetime.
In particular, HPV can cause health problems for women. The development of cervical cancer is thought to be directly linked to the presence of HPV. Of course, it’s true that other factors are involved in the onset of cervical cancer — HPV likely doesn’t act completely on its own. Researchers point to oxidative stress as a promoting factor in the development of HPV-induced cervical tumors.
Now, guess what is one of the best ways to stop oxidative stress from hurting your cells? antioxidants. antioxidants could protect your cells against the negative genetic changes oxidative stress can cause. (We’ve dealt with oxidative stress in the article, This Spice Is a Great Antioxidant). In particular, polyphenols may be the optimal nutrients to take. polyphenols can act like antioxidants as well as being able to perform an impressive array of protective activities, including stopping tumor cell growth, initiating tumor cell death, and stopping damage to cellular DNA.
If you want to add a health-boosting dose of polyphenols to your weekly diet, to help protect against HPV and cancer, try consuming the following foods:
–Coffee
–Blackcurrants
–Artichokes
–Cherries
–Dark chocolate
–Whole-grain rye bread
–Green tea
You can also get your doctor’s advice about HPV and how to protect yourself.