Credit: American Heart Association

Black adults living in communities with few grocery stores who participated in a grocery support program providing home-delivered groceries and dietitian guidance based on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan had a greater reduction in blood pressure levels, compared to a similar group given a stipend to purchase groceries and plan meals on their own, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation Sunday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The study was simultaneously published in JAMA.

“So much of what we know about healthy eating has been conducted with food prepared in research laboratory kitchens, often using specially designed foods,” said lead study author, Stephen P. Juraschek, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, all in Boston.

“This study is significant because it is focused on helping people eat healthier, more nutritious foods they can purchase in a regular grocery store. Our results confirm that with the right resources and support, people can make healthy food choices, which ultimately improves their cardiovascular and metabolic health.”

This study used the principles outlined in the low-sodium DASH eating plan, which focuses on eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, beans, nuts, and legumes, and limits fatty meats, salt, sweets, added sugars and sugary beverages. The participants who all lived in “food deserts” were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) to receive either 12 weeks of home-delivered, DASH-patterned groceries, tailored to their individual caloric needs, and accompanied by weekly counseling with a dietitian; or 2) three $500 stipends every 4 weeks for 12 weeks for self-directed grocery shopping with no dietary counseling.

The researchers measured participants’ systolic blood pressure (the upper number on blood pressure measurements) when they first enrolled in the study and again after the 12-week program ended. The study participants had an average systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg at the beginning of the study. (Normal systolic blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline.) While either a higher systolic or diastolic (lower number) blood pressure reading may be used to diagnose high blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure measure is a better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk for adults older than age 50.

The study’s key findings include:

• After the 12-week program, the average systolic blood pressure measurements were improved in both groups.
• The systolic blood pressure levels among people in the DASH group decreased by an average of 5.7 mm Hg, compared to an average decrease of 2.2 mm Hg in the group who received a monthly stipend to buy their own groceries.
• Participants in the DASH group also saw a decrease in their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels (8 mg/dL) and their diastolic blood pressure measurements (2.4 mm Hg).
• No significant changes were found in either group’s blood sugar levels or body mass index.

Study participants were monitored for an additional three months after the 12-week program ended and participants stopped receiving the grocery deliveries or monthly stipend. At the six-month mark, researchers found that participants’ blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels had returned to the measures taken at the start of the study.

“We thought that some of the benefits of the nutrition changes would be maintained after the groceries were discontinued; however, the study did not address other important barriers, such as the cost of nutritious foods or access to grocery stores,” said Juraschek. “Without addressing these social barriers, it may have been challenging for participants to continue eating healthier foods even after receiving counseling about the impact of diet on high blood pressure and cholesterol.”

“Nutrition is a critical component of preventing cardiovascular disease. Everyone should be able to access healthy foods, and public health programs and policies are needed to promote and support healthy eating habits in the United States,” Juraschek said.

According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Food Is Medicine Scientific Statement, programs that incorporate healthy food into health care for people with or at high risk for chronic health conditions show great potential in improving diet quality, food security and health outcomes. The statement also underscores the need for additional research, such as that funded by the American Heart Association’s food is medicine initiative, Health Care by Food, to evaluate the impact of nutritious food on cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, as well as health outcomes.

This study had some limitations, including the short timeframe of the study period. In addition, it was conducted among people living in one geographic area, so the results may not apply to people living in other communities. The study was also limited to people who were not taking any medication for high blood pressure.

Study details, background and design:

• From August 2022 to September 2025, the study enrolled 180 Black adults living in Boston-area neighborhoods with limited access to grocery stores, referred to as urban “food deserts.”
• The average age of the study participants was 46 years; 57% were women, and 43% were men.
• At the beginning of the study, participants had systolic blood pressure levels ranging from 120 mm Hg to less than 150 mm Hg.
• The study participants were randomly assigned to receive either 12 weeks of home-delivered, DASH-patterned groceries along with dietary counseling or a monthly $500 stipend to purchase their own foods without nutrition counseling. DASH is a flexible and balanced eating plan focused on improving blood pressure, developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health and recommended by the American Heart Association.
• People taking blood pressure-lowering medications or with a diagnosis of either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes were excluded from the study.

More information: Stephen P. Juraschek et al, DASH-Patterned Groceries and Effects on Blood Pressure, JAMA (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.21112

Citation: For Black adults in food deserts, food delivery and dietary guidance reduce blood pressure (2025, November 10) retrieved 10 November 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-black-adults-food-delivery-dietary.html

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