I’m a GP who was advised I used to be at excessive danger of cervical most cancers. So I removed my pre-cancerous cells by following this straightforward weight loss program and complement plan

Dr Rosemary Nyabadza presumed the routine smear test she had six years ago would be no more than a formality – but the results left her in shock.

The 41-year-old GP was told she had tested positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that raises the risk of cervical cancer.

‘I wasn’t expecting that at all,’ says Rosemary, who works part-time as an NHS GP at Manchester Royal Infirmary and in private practice. ‘You see a lot of everything as a doctor, and you never think it’s going to be you.’

There are more than 100 different types of HPV, which are classed as either low-risk or high-risk strains.

Whereas low-risk strains are linked to genital warts, ‘high-risk HPV strains can cause abnormal cell changes that may over time develop into cancer – including cervical, genital, anal, mouth and throat cancers’, explains Dr Tania Adib, a consultant gynaecologist at The Lister Hospital in London.

In the case of cervical cancer, almost all cases (99.8 per cent) are caused by HPV, according to Cancer Research UK.

Around 80 per cent of sexually active people will have an HPV infection at some point in their lives. In about 90 per cent of cases, the virus clears on its own within one to two years but for some it doesn’t, and that is when the risk of cancer increases.

Rosemary knew her HPV might clear naturally. ‘But the emotional, human part of me was thinking, “this is scary; I’ve got something that could cause cervical cancer. What if it doesn’t clear?”’ she says.

When, after three years, she had not cleared the virus – and her cervix was showing the first signs of pre-cancerous changes – she decided to act.

Rather than face treatment that could have permanently damaged her sex life – or worse still, caused full-blown cancer – Rosemary eradicated her HPV, she believes, using simple lifestyle measures she found which had some scientific evidence to suggest they may help boost her body’s response to the virus.

It’s a strategy that may interest many others.

More than three million women have cervical screening (also known as a smear test) each year in the UK.

During the test, a sample of cells is taken from the cervix to test for HPV.

If HPV is detected, the sample is checked under the microscope for signs of abnormal cell changes.

For every 100 women screened, according to the latest available NHS data, 13 test positive for high-risk HPV.

When this happens but no abnormal cell changes are found, the NHS usually suggests an annual test for HPV in case the changes progress or the virus clears (rather than having one every five years, as is normal for women aged 25 to 65).

The immune system can clear the HPV ‘just as it does with many other viruses’, says Dr Adib.

How quickly this happens – or whether it happens at all – depends on many factors, including lifestyle and diet, she explains, but some people ‘naturally have a stronger immune system than others’.

The first year after her positive HPV test, Rosemary tested positive again – and the following year abnormal changes were found in her cervix, classed as CIN1 – or grade 1 – which can develop into cancer.

Doctors still advised Rosemary to ‘watch and wait’ and come back the following year.

But Rosemary felt ‘like I was watching myself move slowly towards cervical cancer, while doing nothing to stop it’, she says.

Treatment is recommended only when the cells have reached the next stage, known as CIN2, or are showing the most severe changes, known as CIN3.

At this point abnormal cells are removed under local anaesthetic, using the LLETZ or LEEP procedures – ‘where a hot, wire loop is used to shave off a thin layer of abnormal cells from the surface layer of the cervix’, says Rosemary.

Another option is a cone biopsy, during which more tissue is removed under a general anaesthetic.

Rosemary was keen to avoid the need for such treatments, ‘which have their own risks – such as discomfort, bleeding, scarring and in some cases sexual dysfunction’.

A study involving 40 women published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine last year found that 7 per cent experienced difficulty with sexual arousal after LLETZ and LEEP procedures.

In her quest to rid herself of the HPV, using her medical insight Rosemary identified three major areas to work on: diet, gut health and supplements.

Just a year after starting her regimen, Rosemary’s next smear test in June 2023 revealed the HPV and cell abnormalities had cleared.

She says: ‘I felt so many emotions – but firstly a deep relief.

‘I also felt so much pride that I had worked with the system yet been the master of my own health.’

So, how did Rosemary do it?

Diet changes

Rosemary gave up her veganism in favour of an organic, ‘anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style diet, high in nutrient-dense whole foods – including fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrains, healthy fats and high-quality proteins’, she says.

Every day she ate foods from across the six colour groups – red, orange and yellow; green; blue, purple and black; and tan, white and brown – to maximise her intake of fibre, phytonutrients (natural compounds produced by plants) and antioxidants (compounds that can help to neutralise free radicals, which are produced by chemical reactions in the body and can damage cells).

Antioxidants may lower the risk of cervical cancer, according to a study published in the International Journal of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, earlier this year.

The study analysed data from 1,044 women – including 174 with cervical cancer – and found those with the highest antioxidant intake had a 55 per cent lower rate of cervical cancer than others with lower antioxidant intakes.

Antioxidants are found in many fruits, vegetables and other plant foods.

And these, too, may be of benefit. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, involving 10,543 women, found that those who did not eat fruit, dark green vegetables and beans had a significantly higher risk of HPV infection.

Rosemary also ‘included protein with every meal – as it’s essential for healthy cell repair, immune function, muscle growth and blood sugar control’, she says.

She also included anti-inflammatory, healthy fats – particularly those rich in omega 3s, such as oily fish and nuts. She avoided processed foods and added sugars.

Focus on gut health

Around ‘70 per cent of immune activity occurs in the gut’, says Rosemary. So, to improve the health of her gut microbiome (the community of microbes that live there), she ate more probiotic foods that improve levels of beneficial bacteria (which help produce beneficial compounds and reduce levels of bad bacteria).

Every day she had 120-150ml of kefir or live yogurt, or a couple of tablespoons of kimchi, ‘alongside prebiotic, fibre-rich plant foods that help nourish beneficial gut bacteria’, she adds.

A review of 82 studies published in the journal Cureus last year found that the health of the microbiomes in the gut and vagina play important roles in the progression of HPV infection, cell changes and cervical cancer. The review also found that women with HPV had higher levels of ‘bad’ bacteria such as Gardnerella.

Targeted supplements

After studying emerging evidence that certain nutrients may play a role in supporting the immune system to clear HPV, Rosemary started taking multiple supplements daily: green tea extract, broccoli sprout extract, quercetin, selenium, vitamin B12, folate, coenzyme Q10, astragalus and AHCC (an extract derived from shiitake mushrooms), as well as a probiotic.

A small 2023 trial in Italy found that a combination of 200mg EGCG (an antioxidant found in green tea), folic acid (400ug), vitamin B12 (1mg) and hyaluronic acid (50mg) may help clear HPV and prevent cervical abnormalities from progressing, reported the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Among the 40 women in the study, 85 per cent cleared high-risk strains of HPV after 12 weeks taking this regimen of supplements, compared with 25 per cent in the control group who didn’t take any supplements.

‘There are certainly supplements I recommend to my patients to support immune function, so that the HPV is more likely to clear naturally,’ says Dr Adib.

‘One of these is AHCC – there is research looking at its potential immune-supporting properties, as well as its possible role in cancer prevention.’

A study – published in Frontiers in Oncology in 2022 – found 64 per cent of women with high-risk HPV who took AHCC (3g) supplements daily became HPV-negative after six months, while only around 10 per cent of women from a placebo group cleared the HPV after 12 months.

‘Many doctors often recommend Papilocare, a vaginal gel that contains a mushroom extract, prebiotics and other natural compounds to support the vaginal microbiome,’ says Dr Adib. ‘I’ve seen it work for some women.’

A study in the Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease in 2021 suggested it may help to support HPV clearance. After six months of using the gel, 60 per cent of women who had previously tested positive for HPV tested negative, compared to 42 per cent in a control group who did not use the gel.

‘There is also evidence around compounds found in broccoli, leafy greens and green tea that may support healthy immune function,’ says Dr Adib. ‘So, it may be helpful to include these foods in the diet, or consider supplements.

‘But, while supplements may be beneficial they are not a replacement for conventional treatment or screening. The key is to make an informed choice while continuing with the appropriate medical monitoring.’

Rosemary has now set up a website (thehpvhub.com), offering women advice and information about HPV.

She has also formulated a supplement range for women who test positive for HPV. The Cervi Hero Immune Support (£55 for 90 capsules, from immuni-p.com) contains 12 ingredients, including green tea and broccoli extracts.

‘It’s easy to feel powerless when you receive a high-risk HPV diagnosis,’ says Rosemary.

‘Taking control by improving your lifestyle, diet and considering supplements, is a way to reduce some of the anxiety of just waiting to see what happens.’