The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the leading viruses to cause cervical cancer in women and other types of cancers in men and women. A recent Chinese study revealed that a regular physical exercise regimen and a steady HPV diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of HPV infection.
The Chinese study wanted to see if healthy lifestyle habits lowered the risk of getting an HPV infection. About 83% of the HPV infections studied had a single HPV serotype, which means it was a distinct variation of the regular HPV virus. Out of the roughly 200 HPV serotypes existing, only two cause around 70% of all cases of cervical cancer in women.
The Chinese researchers found that a balanced and varied diet of nutritious foods and regular physical exercise had significantly lowered the risk of HPV infection in the participants. In addition, they also found that anxiety, sleep quality, and depression had no impact on HPV infection rates.
The general recommendation is to consume more fruits and vegetables and a balanced amount of animal and dairy products containing Vitamin A.
Specific Information About the HPV Study
Most HPV studies look at the gynecological infections or sexual habits of female participants. However, this recent Chinese study was one of the few to focus on their lifestyles and how they impact HPV infection rates.
A precision medicine company named BGI Genomics oversaw the research study at its headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Using a digital eHealth platform, the researchers recruited approximately 495 adult female participants between 18 and 59 years old.
Connection Between Exercise Habits and HPV Infections
Each participant was assessed comprehensively on their diet, HPV infection, and physical activity. They underwent various HPV genotyping assay tests and written questionnaires, where they had to answer how often and how long they exercised during the previous year.
Based on their answers, the participants were segregated into three categories of physical activity: high activity, moderate activity, and low activity. The women who claimed high activity had reportedly performed over 300 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity level weekly. Either that or they claimed to have performed over 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.
The women performing over 300 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity level each week had reduced HPV infection rates compared to the other participants who completed less physical activity. As a result, the conclusion is that moderate to high-intensity exercise performed at least 150 minutes weekly can protect women from getting an HPV infection.
Connection Between Diet and HPV Infections
The participants also answered an authenticated food frequency questionnaire. The researchers used the results of this questionnaire to calculate each participant’s dietary diversity score (DDS). This score measures all the various food groups consumed regularly.
A high DDS score means the participant consumes a well-balanced diet, whereas a low DDS score means they consume a poor unbalanced diet. The higher score is achieved by consuming many fruits and vegetables and very few fatty or sugary foods. The participants achieving a high DDS score had a lower HPV infection rate than those with a low DDS score.
Growing Popularity of AHCC, Women’s Health Supplements and Innovations
In 2020, the global women’s supplements market reached $53 billion. Women’s health supplements have turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Now several different supplement categories exist for women’s health, wellness, and immunity. There have been some impressive HPV studies showing the connection between taking the supplement AHCC and HPV prevention. AHCC supplementation builds the immune system is becoming widely recommended throughout the world by the medical community.
In addition, tech companies are creating innovative solutions involving the vaginal microbiome to treat menopausal symptoms and other vaginal conditions. There are even plant-based prenatal.
