Foods for helping to boost blood counts?

[northernone]

Has any one tried certain foods and vitamins supplements to help boost or maintain blood counts? Is it worth trying or am I clutching at straws!? My Dad had RAEB-1 with low platelets and neutrophils just wondering if anything can help to boost or maintain levels?

[caroline74]

Hi northernone
I was wondering this too with my dad. You can buy Vitamin B12 flakes from health food shops which I thought might help. Then my mum and I agreed we should probably not give my dad anything in case it skewed the blood test results while he was on chemo. I dont know if this is the right approach.
Can you speak to your dad's consultant directly to ask if ot is okay?

[chris]

Hi All

If a person's anaemia had been caused by B12 deficiency, this should have been tested for before investigation of MDS and could be corrected by taking a supplement of the vitamin. If not B12 deficient, there would be no point in taking it. However, there does not appear to be any evidence that MDS is either caused by dietary deficiencies nor improved by taking supplements. Having said this, as with any disease, it may help to eat a good healthy diet and there are precautions to take if somebody has very low neutrophil counts. The MDS UK factsheet on nutrition is really helpful and here's a link:

http://www.mdspatientsupport.org.uk/wp- ... rition.pdf

Sorry not to be more encouraging. I'm a healthy eater and always have been which is why this diagnosis is so irking!! I would love there to be a nutritional solution but I think they would have found it by now if there were.

Yes, you should always discuss with doctors any ideas for dietary changes and supplementation in case they affect any treatment/diagnostic tests.


Best wishes

Chris