Vitamins & Nutritional Supplements for Cervical Dysplasia

Large amounts of folic acid—10 mg per day—have been shown to improve the abnormal Pap smears of women who are taking birth control pills. Folic acid does not improve the Pap smears of women who are not taking oral contraceptives. High blood levels of folate (the food form of folic acid) have been linked to protection against the development of cervical dysplasia but these levels may only be a marker for eating more fruit and vegetables.

Women with cervical dysplasia may have lower blood levels of beta-carotene and vitamin E compared to healthy women. Low levels of selenium and low dietary intake of vitamin C have also been observed in women with cervical dysplasia. Women with a low intake of vitamin A have an increased risk of cervical dysplasia. However, there is little research on the use of vitamin A as a treatment for cervical dysplasia.

In a double-blind trial, when women with cervical abnormalities were given either 500 mg of vitamin C or 50,000 IU beta-carotene per day for two years, no significant evidence of improvement was seen in either group, and those assigned to both supplements experienced a statistically insignificant worsening of their condition. Given that the apparent association between these supplements and deterioration of the condition of the cervix appears to have been due to chance, there is currently no sound evidence supporting the use of vitamin C or beta-carotene supplements for women with cervical dysplasia...