Black adults with high blood pressure who received home-delivered groceries and counseling from a dietitian following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet experienced an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 7 mm Hg at three months, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session on March 28. The study found that this group had a 5 mm Hg greater reduction compared to those who only received basic dietary guidance and a grocery stipend.
The findings are significant because they suggest that improving access to healthy foods can have health benefits similar to those provided by common medications for blood pressure and cholesterol. Researchers noted that programs supporting access to DASH-aligned groceries could help address health disparities among Black adults, who have higher rates of hypertension than other groups in the United States.
The study focused on Black adults living in food deserts—areas where fresh produce and quality foods are limited. About 58% of Black adults in the U.S. have hypertension, compared with 48% of all U.S. adults. In this trial, researchers enrolled 176 participants from Boston-area communities characterized by lower income and limited grocery store availability. Participants were around age 60 on average, and most were women.
Half of the participants received personalized support from a dietitian along with home delivery of groceries tailored to their preferences within DASH guidelines, while the other half received monthly stipends and informational pamphlets about the DASH diet. Dietitians advised participants on meal planning using principles such as limiting salt, aiming for a potassium-sodium ratio of two-to-one, restricting saturated fats, and avoiding processed foods.
"Everybody got to choose their own groceries for themselves and their families according to DASH principles with the assistance of a dietitian," said Juraschek. "We tried to keep things as general and simple as possible and allow for choice, so people were able to come up with different combinations to achieve these goals based on their food preferences." At three months, those receiving grocery deliveries also saw greater reductions in LDL cholesterol compared with those receiving stipends alone.
Juraschek said that nutrition-based approaches can offer multiple benefits without some adverse effects associated with medications: "What's exciting about a nutrition approach is that not only can there be multiple effects on blood pressure and cholesterol, but it can also be preventive moving forward, without some of the adverse effects or interactions you might see with some medications." He noted limitations such as the short duration (three months) and single metropolitan location but suggested future studies could explore longer-term impacts or include other high-risk populations.
