Fighting myeloma with fiber: Plant-based diet offers promise

Medical Xpress / Annual Meeting of the American Society for Nutrition / ^ | June 2, 2025 | Francesca Castro et al

[ConservativeMind]

Results from a new clinical trial suggest that a high-fiber plant-based diet could benefit patients at risk of developing multiple myeloma, the second most common type of blood cancer.

Multiple myeloma is often preceded by early, non-cancerous conditions involving abnormal plasma cells. Having a high body weight, a poor-quality diet and an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria have been shown to increase the risk of developing these conditions and progressing to multiple myeloma.

The pilot study, which is part of the NUTRIVENTION Trials, included 20 patients at risk of developing multiple myeloma due to precursor conditions and an elevated body mass index. Patients received 12 weeks of high-fiber, plant-based meals, 24 weeks of individualized nutritional counseling and were followed for 52 weeks.

Study participants were encouraged to eat to satiety as long as they consumed whole plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes. They were also asked to avoid refined grains, animal products, added sugar and highly processed foods.

The researchers found that the high-fiber, plant-based diet was feasible and well-received, leading to dietary adherence and weight loss. Before the study began, only 20% of total calories were from high-fiber plant-based foods, whereas by the end of the 12-week dietary intervention, that number had jumped to 91%. At 12 weeks, the median participants' BMI had dropped 7% and this weight loss was sustained at 1 year. In addition, two patients experienced a slowing of disease progression while progression remained stable in the others.

The investigators also observed significant improvements in dietary quality, quality of life, metabolic markers such as insulin resistance and lipid profiles, inflammation, and the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome. These improvements were still observable at the end of the 12-week intervention and sustained through the 52-week follow-up.

[ConservativeMind]

A high fiber, plant-based diet stopped the early condition from progressing for 90% of participants and slowed it for the remaining 10%.

[ConservativeMind]

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