Bone Marrow Transplant Diets

Bone marrow is the tissue contained within the center of your bones. A bone marrow transplant consists of the injection of stem cells to replace bone marrow that has been depleted or otherwise ineffective. Preparing yourself for, and recovering from, a bone marrow transplant is not easy, but the process can be made easier with adherence to a dedicated dietary plan to replenish vital nutrients.

Bone Marrow Transplant Diet

• According to the Cleveland Clinic, a proper diet following a bone marrow transplant consists of foods containing high amounts of calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium as these are the substances most needed by your body to recover from the procedure. This means consuming a diet which is relatively high in dairy, fruits and vegetables. Specific items that contain the required nutrients are all dairy products (these all contain high levels of both calcium and phosphorous) including milk, cheeses, cream, yogurt, ice cream and powdered milk. Other foods containing phosphorous and calcium include: spinach, broccoli, almonds, shrimp, coconut, nuts and nut butters, whole grains, and chocolate. Consider fruits and vegetables your best source for getting plenty of potassium and magnesium into your diet, including bananas, avocados, oranges, peaches, raisins, prunes, tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, artichokes, spinach and squash.

Additional Considerations

• You should also limit consumption of both sodium and alcohol. Restrict your daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300mg. Accomplish this by avoiding processed and pre-packaged foods, consuming fresh items whenever possible, as processed foods contain added sodium as an ingredient. Furthermore, avoid canned items (which also contain a lot of added sodium) and avoid using table salt altogether. Regarding alcohol, you should wholly abstain while recovering from a marrow transplant, as your body is not prepared to handle the stress of metabolizing alcohol.