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Plant-based whole-food diets are feasible during auto-HCT and are associated with dose-dependent microbiome modulation

Ueland K, Elahi T, Rasmussen M, Wolfe AE, Purcell H, Chakka SR, Mirimo-Martinez M, Persinger H et al.

Blood advances, 2026

22 participants

Abstract

Abstract: Plant-based whole food diets may represent a tractable approach to mitigating microbiome disruption and improving outcomes in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) for multiple myeloma, a population in whom intestinal dysbiosis has been linked with inferior survival. We conducted a single-arm clinical trial at our center, in which participants undergoing auto-HCT (n = 22) received fresh, pre-prepared, plant-based meals for 5 weeks spanning conditioning, neutropenia, and early recovery, with the goal of supporting the consumption of nutrient-dense, high-fiber foods. The primary end points were feasibility and tolerability, defined by successful enrollment and patient-reported intake of study meals. Dietary intake was quantified using prospective food diaries and 24-hour dietary recall surveys. Secondary end points included changes in gut microbiome composition and function assessed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing and stool short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) measurements. The intervention was feasible and generally well tolerated, with all participants consuming delivered meals to some degree, with adherence sufficient to support planned dietary and correlative analyses. Greater intake of study meals was associated with more pronounced shifts in gut microbial communities, including enrichment of SCFA-producing taxa and compositional changes consistent with a fiber-responsive microbiome. Stool SCFA concentrations increased from…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a clinical trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 22 participants or records.

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