Fuel Your Health Webinar: Nutrition Strategies for Anemia and MDS

Nutrition and cancer specialists, Francesca Castro, a level III registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) at MSK, and Peter Adintori, a board-certified advanced practice dietitian, presented nutrition strategies and anemia insights for MDS patients at a recent HealthTree webinar. 

In this webinar, Francesca and Peter covered how nutrition can help overcome challenges during cancer treatment and manage anemia. 

Nutrition Boosts All Body Functions

Nutrition research helps explain how food habits impact our health and provides evidence-based recommendations to licensed healthcare professionals. 

Using nutrition as an extra way to boost your health and improve some symptoms can also modify your cancer journey. 

Goals of Nutrition During Cancer Treatment

1. Minimize weight loss: Weight loss can have multiple causes, and Peter shared some tips to avoid weight loss and maintain better energy levels. These tips include having small but frequent meals and having high-calorie and high-protein foods, among other things. 
2. Practice food safety: Sometimes the body is prone to infections or has a weak immune system due to some treatments. Sanitary precautions when handling food and simple changes can create a big impact in avoiding infections and food poisoning. 
3. Manage symptoms: Symptoms are grouped into three categories. The first category includes conditions that make it difficult to eat enough, such as mouth or throat pain. The second category comprises symptoms that create a fear of eating due to potential consequences, for instance, nausea or vomiting. The last category consists of symptoms that reduce the enjoyment of food. Peter provided meaningful strategies that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine to improve these symptoms. 
4. Protecting your relationship with food and body weight: Being gentle with yourself and listening to your needs, knowing that symptoms can be temporary, and understanding that food is one of many tools for your health are daily reminders that can help you build a good relationship with food and body weight. 

There Is No Miracle Food 

There is no specific diet that helps manage or cure MDS; however, there is strong evidence that suggests that a balanced, plant-forward diet can help manage symptoms and reduce risk.

A plant-forward diet focuses mainly on vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, while not completely excluding animal products, unlike vegan or vegetarian diets.

Nutrition for Anemia 

While there are different types of anemia, incorporating some nutrients in your diet can play a supportive role. However, they do not replace the medical treatment. 

There are certain foods that can improve nutritional deficiency-derived anemias. 

• Iron deficiency anemia: You can incorporate iron-rich foods, pair them with vitamin C, and avoid calcium, tea, and coffee. 
• Vitamin B12 or folate (B9) deficiency anemia: Eat B12 sources such as eggs, dairy products, and meat. Folate sources include leafy greens, beans, and grains. 
• Transfusion-dependent MDS: Focus on plant-forward anti-inflammatory foods and use iron-blocking foods when necessary. Keep reading about transfusion-dependent anemia here. 

Can You Increase Survivorship with Nutrition? 

There were constant reminders throughout the presentation to be gentle with yourself and move and eat at your own pace because each experience is different. 

However, Francesca shared important insights from the World Cancer Research Fund recommendations for cancer prevention. These recommendations include plant-based foods and daily movement. 

There are also things in our diet that we need to moderate or limit that can contribute to inflammation. For example, highly processed foods that contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fats. This also includes sugary beverages and alcohol. 

Another dietary recommendation is to limit the intake of supplements and vitamins that are not medically necessary or prescribed, as there are also risks associated with supplements. 

Strategies to Improve Your Diet 

• Be gentle with yourself
• Consider individual goals 
• Start with the easiest swaps 
• Work with a registered dietitian to address your individual needs!

Final Thoughts 

One key to self-advocacy is recognizing your unique experience and voicing your needs. Seeking support from loved ones and your healthcare team can greatly improve your daily life, including meals and overall well-being.

Create a free account to watch the event recording and hear all Peter and Francesca’s recommendations. 

Watch Event Recording

Keep Reading More HealthTree Articles About Anemia in MDS

At HealthTree, we care about patient empowerment through education. That’s why we cover comprehensive articles with the latest treatment updates here: 

• Low-Risk MDS Patients See Limited Benefit from Traditional Anemia Treatment 
• Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Similarities and Differences
• Transfusion-Dependent MDS Patients