Certain nutritional deficiencies can enhance the chances of developing cervical cancer in a woman already at risk of developing the disease.
According to a multi departmental study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, women deficient in folic acid were more likely to develop cervical abnormalities if other risk factors - number of sexual partners, use of the Pill, smoking or infection with human papillomavirus infection - were present.
In particular, a low level of folic acid increased a woman's chances of developing cervical dysplasia ie, cervical abnormalities by five times.