For many people, eating healthy isn’t about knowing what to do; it’s about having the means to do it. A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions found that when Black adults living in food deserts received regular grocery deliveries and dietitian support, their blood pressure and cholesterol levels improved within just three months.
The 12-week program was built around the DASH eating plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains while limiting salt and fatty meats. Participants were randomly assigned to either receive weekly deliveries of heart-healthy groceries plus dietitian counseling, or a monthly stipend to shop on their own.
After three months, both groups showed improvement, but the grocery delivery group saw greater gains: their systolic blood pressure, the upper number in a reading, dropped an average of 5.7 mm Hg compared with 2.2 mm Hg in the stipend group. LDL (“bad”) cholesterol also declined in the grocery delivery group.
“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 Stephen P. Juraschek, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “This study is significant because it is focused on helping people eat healthier, more nutritious foods they can purchase in a regular grocery store.”
Three months after the program ended, however, participants’ blood pressure and cholesterol returned to pre-study levels, a reminder, Juraschek said, that access to nutritious food is just as important as education about it.
The findings, published in JAMA, highlight how improving access to healthy food can directly influence heart health and why lasting change requires addressing the barriers that make healthy eating difficult in the first place.
The study was funded by the American Heart Association’s Health Equity Research Network on Hypertension.