Myeloma Diet- Protein Pacing & Gut Health

Newly diagnosed myeloma patients (NDMM) are often on the lookout for the most effective myeloma diet. In the case of the studies linked below, the “most effective” is the myeloma diet that helps the NDMM patient build their health such that they are best prepared to manage their MM in the years to come.

In the interest of full transparency, I have to go on record as saying that several posts on PeopleBeatingCancer.org promote the Meditteranean Diet as the best myeloma diet. And I continue to believe that a diet rich in fruits and veggies and low on animal fat is important for NDMM patients.

But a growing number of studies cite the importance of a healthy gut for the ideal myeloma diet.

How does gut health affect cancer patients?

1. Immune System Function

The gut microbiome is crucial for the development and functioning of the immune system. A healthy gut microbiome helps regulate immune responses and can influence the body’s ability to fight cancer cells. Disruptions in the gut microbiota can lead to immune system dysregulation, potentially affecting cancer progression and response to treatment.

2. Inflammation

An imbalance in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) can lead to chronic inflammation, which is a known risk factor for various types of cancer. Chronic inflammation can promote cancer development and progression by creating an environment that supports tumor growth and survival.

3. Treatment Side Effects

Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, often disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. Maintaining a healthy gut can help mitigate these side effects and improve the patient’s quality of life during treatment.

4. Metabolism of Therapeutic Drugs

The gut microbiome can influence the metabolism of cancer therapies. Certain bacteria in the gut can modify drugs, potentially affecting their efficacy and toxicity. Understanding the gut microbiome’s role in drug metabolism can help in tailoring treatments to improve outcomes and reduce adverse effects.

5. Nutrition and Weight Management

Cancer patients often experience changes in appetite and weight. A healthy gut microbiome aids in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, which is essential for maintaining strength and energy levels during treatment. Probiotics and prebiotics may help support gut health and improve nutritional status.

6. Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication pathway between the gut and the brain, can impact mental health. Anxiety, depression, and cognitive changes are common in cancer patients, and a healthy gut microbiome can help regulate mood and cognitive function.

7. Microbiome and Cancer Therapy

Emerging research suggests that the composition of the gut microbiome can affect the response to immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Certain gut bacteria have been associated with better responses to immunotherapy, highlighting the potential of microbiome-targeted therapies.

Strategies to Improve Gut Health in Cancer Patients

Dietary Interventions: A balanced diet rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods can support a healthy gut microbiome.
Probiotics and Prebiotics: These supplements can help restore and maintain a healthy gut microbiota balance.
Avoiding Antibiotic Overuse: Antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiome, so their use should be carefully considered and monitored.
Regular Exercise: Physical activity has been shown to positively influence gut microbiota composition.

Research into the microbiome and its possible affect on MM is still relatively new. I have linked studies below that I believe will shed light on this general issue.

As both a MM survivor and MM cancer coach, I think the NDMM patient may want to understand:

Angiogenesis and MM
Gut health and MM
Intermittent fasting and MM
and Protein Pacing and MM

man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.

If you are interested in learning more about anti-angiogenic supplement to complement your myeloma diet, email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com

Thank you,

David Emerson

MM Survivor
MM Cancer Coach
Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Intermittent Fasting with Protein Pacing More Effective for Weight Loss

“New research suggests that intermittent fasting combined with protein pacing may be more beneficial for weight loss and gut health than calorie restriction.
Participants who followed intermittent fasting with protein pacing lost more body weight and abdominal and visceral fat mass and had a higher fat-free mass percentage.
Experts say this may be due to the thermogenic effect of protein and metabolic flexibility.
If you’re interested in protein pacing, you should consider spacing meals by 3 to 5 hours and aim to spread your protein intake evenly across each meal…”

Intermittent Fasting Tops Calorie Restriction for Gut Health

“Individuals on an intermittent-fasting and protein-pacing (IF-P) diet had fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and increased diversity in gut microbiota than those on a calorie-restricted (CR) Mediterranean-style diet in a small, randomized trial…

TAKEAWAY:

The IF-P diet resulted in more substantial reductions in patient-reported symptoms of gastrointestinal problems and more pronounced increases in gut microbiota diversity and in the abundance of microbial families and genera associated with favorable metabolic profiles, such as Christensenellaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Marvinbryantia, than the CR diet.
The IF-P diet significantly increased cytokines linked to lipolysis, weight loss, inflammation, and the immune response.
With the CR diet, metabolites associated with a longevity-related metabolic pathway increased.
The subgroup analysis of high and low responders to the IF-P diet showed an increased abundance of certain bacteria associated with metabolic benefits and anti-inflammatory effects among high responders, whereas low responders showed an increased abundance of butyrate-producing and nutritionally adaptive species such as Eubacterium ventriosum and Roseburia inulinivorans.
A fecal metabolome analysis revealed that high responders showed enrichment of fecal metabolites involved in lipid metabolism, whereas more prominent pathways in low responders were related to the metabolism of amino acids and peptides, as well as tyrosine metabolism and argininebiosynthesis…”

Gut microbiome in multiple myeloma: Mechanisms of progression and clinical applications

“The gut commensal microbes modulate human immunity and metabolism through the production of a large number of metabolites, which act as signaling molecules and substrates of metabolic reactions in a diverse range of biological processes.

There is a growing appreciation for the importance of immunometabolic mechanisms of the host-gut microbiota interactions in various malignant tumors. Emerging studies have suggested intestinal microbiota contributes to the progression of multiple myeloma.

In this review, we summarized the current understanding of the gut microbiome in MM progression and treatment, and the influence of alterations in gut microbiota on treatment response and treatment-related toxicity and complications in MM patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Furthermore, we discussed the impact of gut microbiota-immune system interactions in tumor immunotherapy, focusing on tumor vaccine immunotherapy, which may be an effective approach to improve anti-myeloma efficacy…”

Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission