A grocery support program providing home-delivered groceries and dietary counseling based on the low-sodium DASH eating plan significantly reduced blood pressure levels in Black adults living in communities with limited access to grocery stores, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The findings, simultaneously published in JAMA, reveal important implications for addressing health disparities in underserved communities.
The study enrolled 180 Black adults living in Boston-area neighborhoods classified as urban food deserts, with participants randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received 12 weeks of home-delivered DASH-patterned groceries tailored to their individual caloric needs, accompanied by weekly counseling with a dietitian. The other group received three $500 stipends every four weeks for self-directed grocery shopping without dietary counseling.
After the 12-week program, participants in the DASH group showed significantly greater improvements in cardiovascular health markers. Their systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 5.7 mm Hg compared to only 2.2 mm Hg in the stipend group. The DASH group also experienced reductions in LDL cholesterol levels (8 mg/dL) and diastolic blood pressure measurements (2.4 mm Hg). No significant changes were found in either group's blood sugar levels or body mass index.
The study's most striking finding emerged during the three-month follow-up period after the grocery deliveries and monthly stipends ended. Researchers discovered that participants' blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels had returned to their baseline measurements, indicating that the health benefits were not sustained without ongoing support. This suggests that social barriers, including limited access to affordable healthy foods, significantly influence nutritional choices and cardiovascular health outcomes.
Lead study author Stephen P. Juraschek, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, emphasized the study's real-world significance. "This study is significant because it is focused on helping people eat healthier, more nutritious foods they can purchase in a regular grocery store," he said. "Our results confirm that with the right resources and support, people can make healthy food choices, which ultimately improves their cardiovascular and metabolic health."
The research aligns with the American Heart Association's Food Is Medicine initiative, which evaluates the impact of nutritious food on cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. According to the Association's 2025 Food Is Medicine Scientific Statement, programs incorporating healthy food into health care show great potential for improving diet quality, food security, and health outcomes for people with or at high risk for chronic conditions.
Study participants had an average systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg at enrollment, placing them in the elevated blood pressure category according to the American Heart Association's 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline. The DASH eating plan used in the study focuses on increasing consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, beans, nuts, and legumes while limiting fatty meats, salt, sweets, added sugars, and sugary beverages.
This research underscores the critical need for sustained public health interventions addressing food access disparities. "Nutrition is a critical component of preventing cardiovascular disease," Juraschek noted. "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." The study was funded by the American Heart Association's Health Equity Research Network on Hypertension and contributes important evidence to the growing field of food-as-medicine interventions.
