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.
- You are here:
- Home »
- Blog »
- non-conventional therapies »
- Myeloma – Nutritional Supplementation
Myeloma – Nutritional Supplementation
Nutritional Supplementation – as myeloma therapy, as a complementary therapy or as an integrative therapy is, in my opinion, the key to long-term myeloma treatment.
Living with multiple myeloma since my diagnosis in early 1994 has taught me that nutritional supplementation, before, during and after conventional therapies, is central to achieving your best, longest overall survival.
But don’t expect your oncologist to support you in this endeavor. Nothing personal. Board-certified medical doctors don’t study non-conventional therapies such as nutritional supplementation (curcumin, omega 3 fatty acids and/or vitamin D3, etc.).
Your oncologist- myeloma specialist or not, simply doesn’t know much about nutritional supplementation.
This post is your gateway to those blog posts with evidence-based therapies that I’ve researched and written about over the past dozen or so years that document the supplements I take and the reason why I take those supplements including:
- anti-myeloma
- bone health
- heart health
- brain health
- blood health
I don’t mean to sound as though I am anti-chemo or against conventional oncology. I am not against conventional, FDA approved, “safe and effective” therapy. It is simply that I have learned that nutritional supplementation can help the myeloma patient manage his/her chemo, radiation, and short, long-term and late stage side effects.
- Myeloma Diet, Supplement – A How-to Guide
- Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis – Do Nutritional Supplements Really Work?
- Multiple Myeloma Diet- Foods vs. Supplements
- Multiple Myeloma and Sjorgren’s Syndrome – Diet, Supplements
- Nutritional Supplementation During Multiple Myeloma Treatment?
- Myeloma Chemotherapy – Antioxidants Enhance Action-
- Myeloma Chemotherapy – Probiotic, Diet, Supplement, Pre-habilitation
- Multiple Myeloma Bone Health – Vitamin D3 as Therapy
- Multiple Myeloma Diet – Probiotics, Enzymes, Supplementation
- Curcumin vs. Myeloma – The scientific evidence continues to pile up
- To Learn about Too Much vitamin D3- click now
I am a multiple myeloma survivor. I think like a myeloma survivor. I act like a myeloma survivor. If you have any questions about nutritional supplementation, scroll down the page an post a question or comment. I will reply to you ASAP.
- To Learn More About Your Prognosis for Multiple Myeloma click now
- To Learn More about antioxidants and cancer therapy- click now
- To Learn More about how supplementation enhances chemotherapy- click now
- To Learn more about the cancer patient’s appetite/diet- click now
- To Go To Multiple Myeloma Explained- click now
Thanks.
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Is it safe to take antioxidant supplements during chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
“Question:
Is it safe to take antioxidant supplements during chemotherapy and radiation therapy? Does this concern extend to foods containing high levels of antioxidants, such as an orange or orange juice, which contain a high amount of vitamin C?
Answer:
Antioxidant supplementation during conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy is a controversial subject. Some studies suggest taking antioxidants supplements during treatment may be beneficial; however, there are just as many studies that tell us this may be harmful. The scientific evidence on this topic is not strongly for or against taking antioxidant supplements during cancer treatment.
It is possible that taking antioxidant supplements during treatment can protect normal tissues from the damaging side effects of treatments, and may improve tumor response and patient survival (1-3). On the other hand, some studies indicate that taking antioxidant supplements may interfere with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, by reducing their effectiveness. It is possible that antioxidants may protect tumor cells, in addition to healthy cells, from the oxidative damage intentionally caused by conventional treatments. This, in turn, may reduce the effectiveness of the treatments (4-7).
We need more research to definitively settle the question of whether taking antioxidants during cancer treatment is harmful or helpful. It is very likely that antioxidants during cancer treatment may be beneficial for some people, yet harmful for others(8,9). No two people, or cancers, are the same.
There is no evidence to support that antioxidant-rich, whole foods or drinks should be avoided during cancer therapy. It is believed that the level of any one particular antioxidant in a whole food is unlikely to interfere with treatment. The same cannot be said about high-dose antioxidant supplements…
The original question and answer were generously donated by Diana Dyer, MS, RD a cancer survivor, registered dietitian, organic garlic farmer, and the author of “A Dietitian’s Cancer Story: Information & Inspiration for Recovery & Healing from a 3-time Cancer Survivor.”
Question and Answer updated by Cynthia Clark, on behalf of the ON DPG
References
- Block K, Koch M, Mead M, Tothy P, Newman R, Gyllenhaal C. Impact of antioxidant supplementation on chemotherapeutic toxicity: A systematic review of the evidence from randomized controlled trails. Int J Cancer. 2008;123:1227-1239.
- Block K, Koch A, Mead M, Tothy P, Newman R, Gyllenhaal C. Impact of antioxidant supplementation on chemotherapeutic efficacy: a systematic review of the evidence from randomized controlled trials. Cancer Treat Rev. 2007;33:407-18.
- Conklin K. Dietary antioxidants during cancer chemotherapy: impact on chemotherapeutic effectiveness and development of side effects. Nutr Cancer. 2000;37:1-18.
- Lawenda B, Kelly K, Ladas , Sagar S, Vickers A, Blumberg J. Should supplemental antioxidant administration be avoided during chemotherapy and radiation therapy? J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008:100:773-783.
- Ladas E, Kelly KM. The antioxidant debate. Explore (NY). 2010;6:75-85.
- Norman H, Butrum R, Feldman E, Heber D, Nixon D, Picciano MF, Rivlin R, Simopoulos A, Wargovich M, Weisburger E, Zeisel S. The Role of Dietary Supplements during Cancer Therapy. J Nutr. 2003;133:3794S-3799S.
- Bairati I, Meyer F, Jobin E, Gélinas M, Fortin A, Nabid A, Brochet F, Têtu B. Antioxidant vitamins supplementation and mortality: a randomized trial in head and neck cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2006;119:2221-4.
- Greenlee H, Kwan M, Kushi L, Song J, Castillo A, Weltzien E, Quesenberry C, Caan B. Antioxidant supplement use after breast cancer diagnosis and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) cohort. Cancer. 2012;118:2048-58.
- Greenlee H, Hershman D, Jacobson J. Use of antioxidant supplements during breast cancer treatment: a comprehensive review. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009:115:437-52.