Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
Click the orange button to the right to learn more about what you can start doing today.
Multiple Myeloma Diet
I have remained in complete remission through a combination of nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle and mind-body therapies. Anti-angiogenic (anti-Myeloma) nutrition runs throughout these themes.
You or a loved one has been diagnosed with pre-multiple myeloma (MGUS or SMM) or full blown MM stages 1,2 or 3. Yes, there are studies that confirm that a multiple myeloma diet works. Or I should say that foods that are anti-angiogenic can be actual therapy that is cytotoxic (kills) multiple myeloma.
While I believe that my diet is one of the evidence-based therapies that helps me remain in CR, I have a confession to make. I don’t diet. That is to say, I don’t follow a Ketogenic, Mediterranean, Atkins, etc. etc. diet.
If I’m talking to a MM patient, survivor or caregiver who asks me about what I eat, I will say that I follow a Flexitarian diet...sort of. I will mention that diet because it
- emphasizes fruits and veggies
- allows for a little meat
- is flexible (I need this…)
My final comment to whomever is asking, is my overall philosophy- progress, not perfection. I have to say this because…let’s face it…I cheat. Not a lot but I need to acknowledge this. And I have progressed a lot over the years. I don’t cheat nearly as often as I used to. So progress, not perfection…
Let me add a few more anti-MM specifics.
- Anti-angiogenic foods and supplements are the key to nutrition as MM therapy
- A case for MM patients needing red meat (lean) was made in a book called Eat Right For Your Blood Type.
- By definition, dieting is a short term solution. I believe that anti-MM nutrition is for the rest of our lives. Find a diet that you can stick to day-in, day-out, for the rest of your life.
But anti-MM foods are only one piece of the evidence-based, non-toxic, anti-MM puzzle.
I was first diagnosed with MM in 1994. I did nothing to my diet or lifestyle to fight my cancer for several years following my diagnosis. I underwent induction chemotherapy (VAD) and then underwent an autologous stem cell transplant in 12/95. I achieved remission twice and relapsed twice. My oncologist finally told me that “we can do nothing for you” in 9/97.
I reached complete remission in early 1999 where I have remained since. My Multiple Myeloma Diet is a key component of my anti angiogenic, anti-MM lifestyle. But it is only one lifestyle change I made to fight my MM. I also exercise, sauna, get plenty of rest, don’t drink…you get the idea.
To learn more about the Multiple Myeloma Coaching Course, click here.
Nutritional basics that I follow and recommend for you to follow too:
- No smoking and little alcohol as possible (red wine will be discussed below)
- As little refined sugar in your diet as you can. I say as little because sugar is in everything. Do your best. Read labels…
- As little animal/saturated fat as possible.
- Eat lots of fruits and veggies daily.
- Learn about and focus your meals on anti-angiogenic foods and supplements. For example, black rasperries, dark chocolate, curcumin (supplement) and resveratrol (supplement) are anti-angiogenic. Conventional standard-of care, FDA approved chemotherapy regimens such as revlimid and thalidomide are also angiogenesis inhibitors.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, let me say this loud and clear:
It is critical that you become an active participant in your care. Learn everything you can.
I am alive today largely because I took the time to learn as much as I could about Multiple Myeloma and sought out the full spectrum of evidence-based MM therapies both conventional (FDA approved) and non-conventional.
Your decision-making begins by learning about the full spectrum of evidence-based myeloma therapies, both conventional and non-conventional.
I wish you all the best on your Multiple Myeloma journey. If you have a question or comment, scroll down to the bottom of the page to post it and I will respond ASAP.
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Multiple Myeloma- Intravenous Vitamin C Therapy
- Conventional, Integrative and Alternative-Multiple Myeloma Cancer Coaching-
- CR or VGPR Makes NO Difference in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
Can we eat to starve cancer? – William Li
I found the Ted Talk linked above to be life-changing where my MM management was concerned. This video was shot in 2010 so it is a bit old. However I think the content is as relevant to MM patients and survivors as ever.
Tumor Angiogenesis as a Target for Dietary Cancer Prevention
“The switch to the angiogenic phenotype occurs during multistage tumorigenesis. As malignancy develops, cells progress from a prevascular stage (normal to early hyperplasia) to a vascular stage (late hyperplasia to dysplasia to invasive carcinoma). Angiogenesis becomes clearly evident during dysplasia and is critical for further growth. Targeting tumor angiogenesis may be a novel strategy for preventing cancer. (Reprinted by permission from the Angiogenesis Foundation. Copyright 2011 by The Angiogenesis Foundation. All rights reserved).
Table 5
Chemopreventive agents that possess antiangiogenic properties.
| Alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) | |
| Aspirin | |
| Brassinin | |
| Celecoxib | |
| Curcumin | |
| 1 α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 | |
| Ellagic acid | |
| Epigallocatechin 3-gallate | |
| Finisteride | |
| Genistein | |
| N-acetylcysteine (NAC) | |
| Naringenin | |
| Oltipraz | |
| Resveratrol | |
| Retinoids | |
| Selenium | |
| Silymarin | |
| Statins | |
| Sulindac | |
| Tamoxifen |
Source: Angiotracker, The Angiogenesis Foundation (http://www.angio.org/).
