What To Eat if You Have Myelofibrosis?

There is not a wholly approved diet to effectively treat myelofibrosis; however, there are nutritional strategies that you can follow to address common symptoms reported by myelofibrosis patients and help you reduce the cancer complications and symptom burden that comes with it. 

Keep in mind that during treatment for myelofibrosis, some people find it challenging to nourish appropriately, but there are some recommendations that you can consider to ease this process. We understand that sometimes, the last thing you want to do is have a meal due to the symptoms you may have. However, obtaining abundant nutrients is vital in the recovery process. 

Strategies To Follow

Having a nutritional strategy will help you keep track of your treatment progress. You can start practicing these nine strategies designed to help you feel better. 

1. Eat in small portions during the day
2. Choose easy-to-digest foods
3. Include protein-rich foods 
4. Include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet
5. Keep hydrating yourself 
6. Choose healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc)
7. Limit your added sugar or refined sugar consumption
8. Avoid cross-contamination when preparing your meals, especially when cooking meat products. 

What Foods Should You Avoid if You Have Myelofibrosis? 

Having myelofibrosis means that the bone marrow may not have enough space to produce blood cells, so you may experience anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelets, which may affect the ability of your body to defend itself; this is called the immune system, and it’s run by white blood cells. 

When your immune system is weaker, there are some foods that you can avoid so you don’t suffer the risk of infection or worsen your symptoms. These foods to avoid include:

• Raw meat or fish, including sushi 
• Uncooked or under-cooked eggs 
• Unpasteurized products and beverages
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables

Foods for Anemia

Anemia is prevalent in myelofibrosis patients. If you have anemia, you may experience fatigue and weakness. Nutritional deficiencies such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B-12 can also produce anemia. If you experience anemia or want to prevent it, you can include some of the foods on this list in your daily meals: 

• Clams 
• Liver 
• Properly cooked red meat, fish, and poultry 
• Beans 
• Chickpeas
• Lentils 
• Nuts 
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
• Asparagus 
• Broccoli 
• Pasteurized eggs 
• Pasteurized dairy products
• Fortified breakfast cereals 
• Fortified plant-based milk 
• Vitamin D 
• Vitamin D is important for your body because it helps with calcium and phosphorus absorption. hen the body doesn’t have enough of these nutrients, there is a risk of experiencing bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain, and muscle weakness. 
• Here are some vitamin D sources:
• Sunlight 
• Fortified orange juice 
• Fortified milk yogurt 
• Egg yolks 

Don’t Forget To Nourish Your Body!

Lifestyle changes added to medications and other treatments can have a great impact on your cancer journey. Having proper nutrition may be challenging at first, but remember that we not only eat to help fight back cancer, but we also eat to nourish our bodies. 

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