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.
“A kidney-friendly diet may help to protect kidneys from further damage. In early CKD stages the adoption of healthy diet might slow glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline and decrease the prevalence of complete kidney failure [3].”
You or a loved one has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. When you were told that you had MM, your oncologist mentioned serious kidney involvement as well. It is common for MM to clog a person’s kidneys. A key question then, is how can your multiple myeloma diet help bothyour multiple myeloma cancer AND your kidney damage?
When people, me included, are diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer, they:
get emotional (fear, depression, anger, etc.)
think about short-term solutions (weeks or months…)
think that surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the solution to their health problems…
Negative emotions- A diagnosis of cancer is emotionally difficult. I get it. However by taking a deep breath, slowing down, and “working the problem” as the expression goes, will result in both a better quality and quantity of life, in my experience.
Short-term solutions- While I am the first to admit that conventional oncology has done a fantastic job of learning how to stabilize newly diagnosed MM patients, I am also the first to admit that stabilizing the patient is only the first of many steps in the life of a MM survivor. I believe important therapy begins AFTER stabilizing one’s MM.
Surgery, chemo and radiation– in large doses, cause as many problems as they solve. Especially for kidney involvement. Toxic therapy is never the solution to the problem. At best, toxic therapies can stabilize the situation.
In my experience as a MM survivor, short-term thinking is…well…short-term. It creates problems for the newly diagnosed MM patient. MM is a lifelong aka long-term problem.
Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients must understand two important facts.
Conventional therapies don’t cure MM.
MM survivors don’t die from multiple myeloma. They die from the damage caused by both their MM as well as damage caused by conventional therapies prescribed to treat their MM.
While the above linked blog posts document specific nutrition and supplementation, my research indicates that there are a host of evidence-based pro-kidney yet anti-MM foods and supplements available to MM survivors.
Surgery, chemo and radiation can be important therapies. But they are short-term fixes. My point is that we must manage multiple myeloma and our kidney health for our entire lives once we are diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I believe that your multiple myeloma diet and supplementation can be your long-term solution.
“Individuals with CKD should introduce appropriate measures to hamper the progression of kidney function deterioration as well as prevent the development or progression of CKD-related diseases.
A kidney-friendly diet may help to protect kidneys from further damage. Patients with kidney damage should limit the intake of certain foods to reduce the accumulation of unexcreted metabolic products and also to protect against
hypertension,
proteinuria and
other heart and bone health problems…
A recent systemic study revealed that a healthy diet comprising many fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains, and fibers and also the cutting down on red meat, sodium, and refined sugar intake was associated with lower mortality in people with kidney disease…
A kidney-friendly diet may help to protect kidneys from further damage. In early CKD stages the adoption of healthy diet might slow glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline and decrease the prevalence of complete kidney failure [3]. Patients with kidney damage should limit the intake of certain foods to reduce the accumulation of unexcreted metabolic products but also to protect against hypertension, proteinuria and other heart and bone health problems…
Recent meta-analysis including seven studies involving 15,285 participants assessed mortality and the risk of progression to ESRD in CKD patients with healthy dietary patterns (rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, cereals, whole grains, and fibers, and deficient in red meat, salt, and refined sugars) and those with less healthy diet [82]. In most of studies (6 out of 7), healthy dietary patterns were consistently associated with lower mortality…
The Mediterranean diet, based on the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive and canola oil, herbs and spices and limiting red meat, has a low phosphorous content and has been shown to reduce plasma homocysteine, serum phosphorus, microalbuminuria, and cardiovascular risk [95]…
Conclusions-
Appropriate nutrition is vital for patients with CKD at all stages. Numerous studies indicate that diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, cereals, whole grains, fibers and polyunsaturated fatty acids but low in saturated fatty acids is beneficial for CKD patients…
“Dietary restrictions vary depending on the level of kidney damage.
For example, people in the early stages of kidney disease have different restrictions than those with kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source)…
For most people with advanced kidney disease, it’s important to follow a kidney-friendly diet that helps decrease the amount of waste in the blood.
This diet is often referred to as a renal diet.
It helps boost kidney function while preventing further damage (8Trusted Source)…
While dietary restrictions vary, it’s commonly recommended that all people with kidney disease restrict the following nutrients:
Sodium.Sodium is found in many foods and a major component of table salt. Damaged kidneys can’t filter out excess sodium, causing its blood levels to rise. It’s often recommended to limit sodium to less than 2,000 mg per day (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Potassium.Potassium plays many critical roles in the body, but those with kidney disease need to limit potassium to avoid dangerously high blood levels. It’s usually recommended to limit potassium to less than 2,000 mg per day (11Trusted Source, 12).
Phosphorus. Damaged kidneys can’t remove excess phosphorus, a mineral in many foods. High levels can cause damage to the body, so dietary phosphorus is restricted to less than 800–1,000 mg per day in most patients (13, 14Trusted Source).
Protein is another nutrient that people with kidney disease may need to limit, as damaged kidneys can’t clear out waste products from protein metabolism…”
“The kidneys are two small organs located on either side of the spine, below the ribs. They play an important role in getting rid of excess waste, balancing electrolytes, and creating hormones.
In the absence of disease, a well-rounded diet and adequate water intake are usually enough to keep your kidneys healthy.
However, certain foods, herbs, and supplements can help support strong kidneys.
From your morning glass of water to that extra cup of herbal tea, here are four ways to cleanse your kidneys and keep them functioning strong…”
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10 comments
Kathryn Guillaum says
a few months ago
Kidney function is the GFR and something else, in our regular MM blood tests?
I’m guessing that since you were reading a blog post about MM and kidney function you have MM and kidney involvement. Please confirm if this is true as there can be several reasons for swelling of the ankles.
The main issue having to do with reduced kidney function and swelling is that your kidney isn’t expelling your sodium intake well enough. So yes, a low-sodium diet may help.
Keep in mind that you may have heart or DVT issues as well. Please let me know about your kidney function.
my G.P has prescribed a diruetic for my occasional swelling of legs and feet. It has substantially lowered my b.p numbers….a bit too much….I think. I hope the prescription is temporary. I’m keeping track of my b.p to show him at the end of two weeks.
I have early stage MM and stage 3 CKD. I just atarted a chemotharapy treatment…DARZA? I am very interested in evidenced based information regarding diet anf supplements. Thank you,
Stevr B
I just sent you the MM CC kidney guide as well as the study on velcade alone a kidney health. If you cannot find my email please check your spam folder.
