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.
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Foods Myeloma Patients Should Eat Daily
Foods Myeloma Patients Should Eat Daily are about nutrition that is both therapy and food. Meaning, the average MM patient is both older and undergoes chemotherapy regimens that age them.
Aging caused by chemo regimens ages the average MM patient far beyond their day-to-day age.
When a person is first diagnosed with MM, their focus is usually on treatment. Treatment to resolve their symptoms, treatment to put them into remission, treatment to “save their lives.” That was my focus when I was first diagnosed…
But as MM becomes more of a chronic disease, managing long-term health is more of a priority. At least long-term health should become a priority after initial conventional therapies to stabilize them.
Foods Myeloma patients should eat daily are about managing long-term health. Polyphenol-rich foods help MM patients manage a host of bodily functions.
Top 10 Foods That Are Rich In Polyphenols
By focusing on foods that contain polyphenols, I am taking the idea of eating a lot of fruits and veggies a step further.
Please email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com to learn more about both conventional and non-conventional therapies to manage your multiple myeloma.
Good luck,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
The common fruits that could slow down the ageing process
Dietary advice often hinges on eating less. In the rare instance we are told to eat more of something, the subject nowadays is invariably protein or fibre. But there is another naturally occurring dietary compound – present in
- berries,
- green tea,
- coffee
- and even dark chocolate,
which recent research suggests can have geroprotective effects. In layman’s terms: it may help protect against, or slow down, the biological processes involved in ageing.
“Polyphenols are a large family of plant compounds,” explains Dr Karan Rajan, a medical doctor and author of This Book May Save Your Life. “This includes flavonoids like EGCG [epigallocatechin gallate] in green tea, phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid in coffee, and many others. They act as antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.”
A review article, published in the Ageing Research Reviews journal in 2025, suggested that “polyphenols may exert geroprotective effects by modulating the hallmarks of ageing” after observing a high consumption of polyphenol-rich foods in “blue zones” – five regions across the world where people have been observed to live significantly longer, healthier lives…
What does the research say about polyphenols?…
The 2025 review article on polyphenols uses long-lived individuals living in these blue zones, who remain free from chronic diseases, as a “valuable model to investigate the complex interplay of biological, genetic and environmental factors that contribute to exceptional longevity”.
It recognises that, while centenarians are inclined towards polyphenol-rich plant-based diets, longevity is not just determined through diet but also a blend of lifestyle and socio-cultural factors. It also lists a series of limitations, such as a lack of data around the exact polyphenol intake of those living in the blue zones.
But it does identify “associations between higher polyphenol consumption and the lower incidence of age-related diseases in these populations”, adding that “a significant body of evidence suggests that polyphenols… may exhibit geroprotective activity by influencing underlying biological mechanisms of ageing and promoting optimal longevity”.
So, while the concept of blue zones has been called into question, the study concludes that evidence suggests polyphenols can still have a positive impact on the ageing process.
Our experts generally agree, but also point to other factors at play in deciding the length of someone’s life, and the health with which it is lived.
“Populations in so-called ‘blue zones’ tend to eat diets naturally higher in polyphenols by up to 30 per cent, compared to the average diet,” says Dr Richard Allison, nutritionist at Herbalife. “While it’s not the only factor – exercise, community and overall lifestyle play a role too – research suggests polyphenols may help explain some of their healthy ageing advantages.”
“From a dietary perspective, a high intake of plant-based foods has been noted in these areas, which would provide a significant supply of polyphenols, as well as fibre and other key nutrients,” adds Kerry Beeson, a nutritional therapist with Prep Kitchen who holds a degree in nutritional medicine.
“However, blue zones are not the only regions with high plant food consumption, which suggests that polyphenols alone may not be the sole explanation. Gut health has also been investigated as an important factor in longevity, for example. On that note, there may be an important synergy there, as polyphenols can act as prebiotics, working with dietary fibre and fermented foods to support a diverse microbiome that in turn positively influences immunity, inflammation, and ultimately, healthy ageing.”
And finally, Dr Rajan points to links between diets high in polyphenols, such as the Mediterranean diet and blue zone diet, and cardiometabolic and anti-inflammatory benefits…
What are polyphenols?
“Polyphenols are natural compounds found in many plant-based foods,” says Beeson. “They are often the pigments in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices that give them their vibrant colours.”
There are many different types of polyphenols, but Beeson says most fall into one of the categories below:
- Flavonoids: e.g. catechins in tea, anthocyanins in berries, quercetin in onions and isoflavones in soya.
- Phenolic acids: e.g. caffeic acid in coffee, ferulic acid in whole grains and gallic acid in tea, grapes and berries.
- Proanthocyanidins: found in fruits like grapes and apples, as well as cocoa and dark chocolate.
- Lignans: found in wholefoods such as flaxseeds and sesame seeds.
- Stilbenes: the most well-known polyphenol in this category is resveratrol in red grapes and wine.
- Special cases: some polyphenols don’t fall into the main categories, such as curcumin, a unique curcuminoid found only in turmeric.
What are the benefits of polyphenols?
Dr Rajan lists an impressive CV for polyphenols. They can help improve cardiometabolic function, support endothelial function (related to the lining of the blood vessels) and they have anti-inflammatory effects. Polyphenols may also aid lipid modulation and directly impact gut microbiome health, he adds.
In the gut, they exhibit prebiotic properties to feed “good bacteria”, and offer antimicrobial effects against pathogenic microorganisms (those capable of causing disease), Beeson explains, citing a 2019 review published in the Nutrients journal.
She continues: “Polyphenols act as antioxidants, reducing oxidative stress and helping protect cells from damage. They have anti-inflammatory effects and research suggests they may support cardiovascular health, improve blood sugar control, boost immune function and lower the risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”
And the potential perks don’t end there.
“They help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and protect arteries,” adds Dr Allison. “Some polyphenols cross into the brain to protect neurons, where they may protect memory and potentially slow age-related cognitive decline. They can improve how your body handles blood sugar, supporting energy balance and diabetes prevention, and polyphenols may slow some of the cellular processes linked with ageing, helping you stay healthier for longer.”
Which foods contain polyphenols?
“You’ll get polyphenols from a wide variety of plant-based foods,” says Dr Allison. Combined, he, Beeson and Dr Rajan provided the following list detailing most of the major sources:
-
Berries – especially blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.
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Cocoa and dark chocolate – 70% cocoa or higher.
-
Green tea and coffee.
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Grapes and red wine – “Though alcohol obviously has downsides for gut health and it is more generally linked to increased risk of cancers, so grapes are better,” says Dr Rajan.
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Apples and pears.
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Turmeric – curcumin is the active compound – and other herbs and spices.
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Olive oil.
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Nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
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Onions and garlic…
How to enjoy a healthier diet rich in polyphenols
Dr Rajan says that, based on existing evidence, it is likely that polyphenols have geroprotective qualities. This is largely thanks to their positive impact on heart and blood vessel health, anti-inflammatory properties and benefits for the gut microbiome, according to Beeson.
Foods Myeloma Patients Should Eat Daily Foods Myeloma Patients Should Eat Daily Foods Myeloma Patients Should Eat Daily