MGUS diet: Any tips on food to enjoy or prevent progression?

Thank you Chris for information on diet. I am newly diagnosed MGUS.

Welcome, Patty. I love that you put your pending retirement date in your bio. Working until almost 70, you deserve retirement. But I'm sure you were hoping for retirement with MGUS.

I've searched high and low for lifestyle changes suggested for people with MGUS. It doesn't appear that specific foods or diet are recommended to reduce risk of progression to multiple myeloma. Naturally, as we all know that a healthy lifestyle - health food choices, physical activity, reducing stress, etc - helps reduce risk of disease in general. Eating well and staying active can't hurt and can even be beneficial should MGUS progress.

Patty, how did you discover you have MGUS? How do you conserve energy for the things that matter to you?

Hi everybody. Recently dx’d with MGUS. My hematologist did not mention diet. M protein in blood but not urine. Just monitoring bloodwork in 3 month cycles for now.
I feel pretty good. I’m nearly 70 and losing some of my energy but still working full-time and doing the things that matter to me. I am very interested in the impact of diet and of course I don’t want this to progress to multiple myeloma.
Thanks in advance for information and the opportunity to speak to others with the same diagnosis.
Patty

@red7 I went from MGUS to smoldering myeloma, and then on to active multiple myeloma. I am on my fourth round of chemo right now. As others have mentioned, there doesn't seem to be be a "rhyme or reason" to figure out who will advance into an active stage. I do know limiting stress, making sure your diet is healthy, with as few processed foods/sugars/junk food works well here, as it does for everyone. Exercise is good, at whatever level is good for you. Each person is different. Like some others, I also have kidney issues, but they are not related to the myeloma, so my diet is a tightly controlled renal diet.
Ginger

You are welcome mRed. Great that you have sat in on conferences to gather as much info as possible. My onc/hem doctor has great credentials for treatment if i progress, hoping not to. Interesting how many of us with MGUS have thyroid issues, blood clotting and kidney. I’ve read MGUS diagnosis increases our chances of developing blood clots by 22 percent. Interesting with Covid articles out - I find a lot of correlation between recommendations for diet and supplements for Covid to be similar to MGUS. Perhaps because of the focus on the similarities in targeting the spiked protein? Also wanted to share with MGUS group to Google PCrowd study. Interesting information.

Thank you sstillwell for your comments on diet. Very helpful info. I have somewhat high IgM with high Free Kappa which are the numbers my hematologist is watching. Since I was first diagnosed I’ve been going crazy trying to understand all this. From first being told I had MM to smoldering myeloma and now confirmed MGUS. It’s starting to make some sense to me. Appreciate your comments and others. Will share what more I learn. I’m also connected to the MMRF and also sat in on a zoom conference they held on MGUS.

Hello Red7,

Since posting my original diet question to the MGUS group- I’ve spent many hours reading research studies and differences in IgA MGUS versus others. (I have IgA with Lambda). Although not many studies to be found on diet, I did read some success with Neem leaf, alpha lipoic acid and pycnogenol. Diet wise I try to stick with mainly fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk and no processed foods. I’ve read to avoid night shades with the exception that eggplant is encouraged. Prior response you received encouraging Vitamin D and Calcium - I also take these along with multi, C, zinc, iron and magnesium (can’t seem to get enough in diet). I get my vitamin levels checked routinely now to make sure I’m on the correct dose of vitamins fit my body. Share with us anything you find on diet or supplements for MGUS - it’s great to steer each of us into more research on the type we have.

Was not in the military. I am on calcium and vitamin D as you noted. I do not eat processed food and watch sodium intake as recommended by the nephrologist. I see him every three months now. Nephrologist also has me controlling my fluid intake. I monitor fluid intake daily per his recommendation. He believes bubbles in my urine was due to uncontrolled HBP which began in 2020 after my hysterectomy. Now with better medications for HBP my HBP is controlled and as of august if this year no more bubbles in urine and protein in urine much lower. Both the nephrologist and the hematologist said this has nothing to do with the MGUS diagnosis. Also I do aqua size classes twice a week and water walk once a week. Also walk at lest half mile or a mile a day depending on weather. I’m 76 years old and pretty active.

Because my husband was already fully into advanced myeloma before he was diagnosed, I am not as educated as others here on MGUS. What I will mention about diet is highly processed foods, especially those full of corn. Much of the corn in highly processed foods is sprayed with herbicides. Herbicides have an association with myeloma.
The other thing I would mention is vitamin D for your bones. Keeping your bones healthy and your kidneys healthy are paramount if you do get myeloma. Many, many people never get myeloma but if you do, you want to start with healthy bones and healthy kidneys. The great doctors at Mayo told husband to take calcium with D, and walk because it is the single best exercise for your bones, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
I found the comment you made that you were low risk of becoming myeloma interesting. When husband was diagnosed in 2010, we attended a weekend workshop and it was explained at that time, they were not sure why some people changed and some didn’t. I love that they can stratify that now.
May I ask if you were in the military or had any of the typical exposures that might have put you at risk?

Colleen
In mid 2020 I questioned my primary physician about why I had bubbles in my urine. After seeing a urologist with no results I was then recommended to see a nephrologist as I had high protein in my urine. The nephrologist then sent me to a hematologist as he suspected multiple myeloma. Hematologist then sent me for complete body X-ray then a bone marrow biopsy then a PET scan. This occurred during most of 2020 into 2021. Diagnosis is MGUS but only after getting a second opinion from another hematologist. I am at low risk for MM so it’s watch and blood tests every six months.