Cervical Dysplasia

Can I take Folic Acid supplementation for cervical dysplasia?

Cervical Dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or CIN) is a premalignant, abnormal growth of cervical tissue, it is a pre-cancerous condition which indicates that the cells of the cervix are changing and may eventually become cancerous if left untreated. Often this condition is asymptomatic and only occasionally may cause abnormal bleeding or spotting after sex.

CIN readings

The cell changes are detected by a pap smear and the severity of the condition is graded in classifications, a CIN 1 being the lowest and a CIN 3 the highest graded. It is most common in women aged between 30 and 40.

CIN I — mild dysplasia (a few cells are abnormal)
CIN II — moderate to marked dysplasia
CIN III — severe dysplasia to carcinoma-in-situ (cancer confined to the surface layer of the cervix)

Do to the serious nature of this condition it is our duty of care to recommend that you make a consultation with a Healthcare professional who can take your full case history and provide you with the support and advice you require. A Naturopath can tailor make a regime to suit your needs, follow up and support any medical advice and take a case history which includes family history, personal history, reproductive history, diet, lifestyle, medications and supplementation.

Some common causes of cervical dysplasia:

familiar history
prolonged use of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP)
tobacco smoking
recurrent infection of the Papilloma Viruses (genital warts)
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially of Folic acid which is depleted if the OCP is used

Natural therapies to address cervical dysplasia:

Some therapists recommend the use of a Golden Seal douche or pessary as it may help to reduce the spread of the cells
Increase anti-oxidant status which includes Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta-carotene, Selenium and Lycopene
Take a Folic acid supplement for healthy cell differentiation which includes Vitamin B12
Green Tea may help to facilitate the regression of Cervical Dysplasia due to its potent anti-oxidant, anti-proliferation and anti-carcinogenic effects
The following are a list of herbs commonly prescribed by herbalists Yarrow, Echinacea, Thuja, Licorice, Motherwort, False Unicorn, Black Cohosh and Blessed Thistl
Homeopathics Cantharis and Thuja
Indole-3-carbinole

Folic acid and cervical dysplasia

Folic acid is needed in the body to regulate cell differentiation, formation and maturation of new red blood cells, growth, enzymes, cognitive function tissue repair, nervous system integrity and for the health of the hair, skin and nails. The recommended daily intake of Folic acid for adults is 400mcg and the therapeutic dosage is 1000-5000mcg/ daily. Folic acid is essentially non toxic and some medical practitioners will recommend up to 5000-10000mcg/ day with no ill effects for the treatment of many conditions including cervical dysplasia. Please speak to your Healthcare professional regarding dosage of Folic acid.

Dietary sources of Folic acid

green beans
eggs
green leafy vegetables
lentils
organ meats
yeast

Studies linking Folic acid and cervical dysplasia

The following is a study which links the benefit of Folic acid in cervical dysplasia

Butterworth, C., et al. Improvement in cervical dysplasia associated with folic acid therapy in users of oral contraceptives. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 35:73-82, 1982.

Forty-seven young women with mild or moderate dysplasia of the uterine cervix (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) diagnosed by cervical smears, received oral supplements of folic acid, 10 mg, or a placebo (ascorbic acid, 10 mg) daily for 3 months under double-blind conditions. All had used a combination-type oral contraceptive agent for at least 6 months and continued it while returning monthly for follow-up examinations. All smears and a biopsy obtained at the end of the trial period were classified by a single observer without knowledge of treatment status using an arbitrary scoring system (1 normal, 2 mild, 3 moderate, 4 severe, 5 carcinoma in situe). Mean biopsy scores from folate supplemented subjects were significantly better than in folate-unsupplemented subjects (2.28 versus 2.92, respectively). Final versus initial cytology scores were also significantly better in supplemented subjects (1.95 versus 2.32, respectively), unchanged in patients receiving the placebo (2.27 versus 2.30, respectively). Before treatment the mean red cell folate concentration was lower among oral contraceptive agent users than nonusers (189 versus 269 ng/ml, respectively) and even lower among users with dysplasia (161 versus 269 ng/ml, respectively). Morphological features of megaloblastosis were associated with dysplasia and also improved in folate supplemented subjects. These studies indicate that either a reversible, localized derangement in folate metabolism may sometimes be misdiagnosed as cervical dysplasia, or else such a derangement is an integral component of the dysplastic process that may be arrested or in some cases reversed by oral folic acid supplementation.

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