PubMed · 2026-06-09
A clinical trial found that delivering fresh plant-based meals to cancer patients during stem cell transplants was practical and safe, and eating more of those meals led to measurable improvements in gut bacteria health and beneficial metabolite production.
All 22 participants consumed some study meals, confirming the intervention was feasible even during intensive cancer treatment including chemotherapy and stem cell transplant.
Greater plant-meal consumption correlated with stronger shifts in gut microbial communities, including enrichment of fiber-fermenting, short-chain fatty acid–producing bacteria.
Stool concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (beneficial microbial metabolites) increased from baseline to end of the 5-week intervention, indicating a functional dietary impact.