Diet and HPV – Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid

Woman focused on diet and nutrition for HPV and immunity

In the past few years, many people started noticing the effects of the food they eat and how it impacts their health. Luckily, the mere fact that you are reading this article is a good sign that you have a great health consciousness. It also means you are on the right track to reversing HPV.

Don’t get us wrong, however. There is not one particular food that would heal your HPV or prevent it. It is more about supplying the body with essential nutrients to keep it fighting your HPV and strengthening your immune system.

The relationship between food sensitivities and HPV

Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is ubiquitous and impossible to escape.  It has most likely already touched your life or that of your loved ones.  Just like other viruses, HPV is always present in our normal flora; however, we only get this disease if we are susceptible.

This is why HPV affects people in different ways. Some will always get sick, whereas others rarely experience any symptoms.

Researchers identified some foods that may interfere with the inflammatory response and promote leaky gut syndrome. As a result, the immune system gets compromised, increasing your chances of falling victim to these viruses.

By far, the top foods that promote allergies and immune dysfunction include gluten, milk, and eggs.

Ideally, you would start by creating your own food sensitivity panel. This will help you identify your body’s response to different allergens. It can easily be done with a finger prick at home. As soon as you get the results, you will have a comprehensive understanding of which foods to exclude from your diet.

Besides triggering food allergies, there are a few food elements that suppress your immune system and consider what HPV supplements to take. The next section will cover some of these foods.

Top Foods to Avoid if You Have HPV

1.     Gluten

Gluten is a common source of allergies for millions of people around the world. Aside from the famous Celiac disease, around 25% of people have some degree of sensitivity to gluten.

Studies show that gluten triggers inflammation as well as leaky gut syndrome. This could happen in people without Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. It only shows that our adult bodies are not designed to digest gluten (just like lactose).

There is even some evidence that up to 95% of patients with HPV have mild gluten intolerance. While this remains a correlation (not causation), it is still enough reason to cut gluten from your diet. Some patients noticed great clinical improvement when they stopped eating gluten-rich foods.

2.     Sugar

High sugar intake is associated with insulin spikes, which can hinder the function of your immune system. This is why diabetics have a higher chance of catching bacterial and viral infections.

While the exact mechanisms that lead to immune suppression are still under debate, the evidence is simply irrefutable. Note that we are talking about refined sugars (not fruits and honey).

Let’s take a practical example:

You have a 6-hour flight, and you arrive at the airport hungry. You order cinnamon sugar pretzels with a sugar-laden coffee creation. As a result, your blood sugar spikes very rapidly. At the same time, your immunity is suboptimal at best. Once you’re on the plane, you get in contact with hundreds of people. Chances are you are more suceptable to catching something while your immunity is low.

The tricky part is – It’s really difficult to cut out sugar from your diet. Whether it’s a sauce, drink, condiment, or others, sugar will always find a way to your stomach. However, you don’t need to stop taking sugar altogether. In fact, we don’t recommend that you do. Eliminating 80% of your sugar intake should be enough to see some great results.

When it’s about HPV, the more sugar you consume, the higher the chances of a positive pap smear test. This shows that sugar promotes the development of abnormal cells inside your cervical canal.

3.     How you eat your food

The third item on our list is not really about the type of food you eat. Instead, it is about the way you are doing it. For instance, skipping meals and then eating copious dinners lead to greater blood sugar fluctuations. As we mentioned above, this compromises the function of your immune system, leaving your cells prone to viral infections.

This is why you should eat a balanced diet at regular times. Note that eating the right way will help you with mood swings, hormone imbalance, lack of focus, and other symptoms.

Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Diets to treat HPV

Some people swear by the planted-based diet when it comes to treating HPV. However, this is only partially true. To function properly, the body needs amino acids, carbs, and fats, alongside vitamins and minerals.

Cutting out a major macronutrient from your diet will inevitably lead to negative consequences. You need vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and some sources of antioxidants. Animal foods also help with supplying you with B vitamins, which are necessary for immune function.

For this reason, we recommend that you eat a balanced diet that contains animal and plant nutrients.

After covering a list of foods to avoid, it’s time for the nutrients that help your body fight HPV.

Foods & Nutrients to Eat if you have HPV

Supplying your immune system with the right nutrients is the single best thing you can do to fight HPV. Seek a diet that contains different HPV vitamins, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Here are some of these foods:

  • Vitamin C – Found in cauliflower, kale, broccoli, kiwi, papaya, orange juice, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes.
  • Vitamin E – Found in mangos, avocadoes, blackberries, salmon, trout, and shrimp.
  • Folate – Found in broccoli, spinach, kale, eggs, and beets.
  • Beta Carotenes – Found in carrots, squash, cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes.
  • Omega-3s – Found in fatty fish (e.g., salmon, sardines, mackerel), seeds (e.g., flax, chia), and spinach.
  • Amino Acids – Found in animal foods (e.g., meat, poultry)
  • AHCC – Only found in a unique ingredient manufactured in Japan, mushroom supplement for HPV

We also recommend shiitake mushrooms as they are well-known immune boosters. Green tea is also a great choice. Studies proved that green tea can help with reversing HPV and preventing future infections.

If you find this section overwhelming, we recommend sticking to a well-balanced diet. By doing that, you’ll ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients we listed above and more.