Pilot study showed diet quality and microbiome improved in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering multiple myeloma
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A high-fiber plant-based diet (HFPBD) can be beneficial for patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), according to a study presented at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held from May 31 to June 3 in Orlando, Florida.
Francesca Castro, R.D., from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and colleagues conducted a single-arm pilot trial implementing an HFPBD intervention for 12 weeks and behavioral counseling for 24 weeks in 20 patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 and MGUS/SMM.
The researchers found that the HFPBD was safe and feasible and yielded improvement in diet quality and microbiome. From baseline to week 12, there was an increase in median dietary adherence from 20 to 91 percent, while median BMI decreased (−6.6 percent). Median dietary fiber increased from 12.3 to 24 g/1,000 kcal/day from baseline to week 12, and the median Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 score increased from 61.4 to 80. From baseline to week 12, an increase was seen in median fecal microbiome α-diversity by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing (6.18 to 8.42) and in relative abundance of butyrate producers (RABP; median, 0.03 to 0.08). There was a negative correlation observed for α-diversity with BMI and a positive correlation with fiber, HEI-2020 score, and dietary adherence. Positive correlations were seen for fiber intake, HEI-2020 scores, and dietary adherence with higher RABP. At weeks 24 and 52, the findings were consistent.
“Our results highlight the importance of improved dietary quality in early disease states and could provide guidance for future clinical trials,” Castro said in a statement.
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
