There’s some evidence that healthy recipes tailored to cultural tastes, combined with a dietitian’s guidance, can help adults managing high blood pressure see significant improvements.
That’s the finding of a study presented Monday at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans. It found that a cohort of Black and Hispanic adults who followed a tailored Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension regimen saw a drop in blood pressure that was double that of those who used other methods.
The DASH diet program is centered on fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and lean proteins, while limiting salt, sugar, saturated fats and processed foods.
“It’s not enough to just tell people to change their dietary behaviors,” said Dr. Oluwabunmi Ogungbe, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and the study’s lead author.
“We asked, ‘What if we actually prescribe what they should eat, give it to them, coach them on how to prepare those foods in ways that reflect their culture and taste preferences, and then see whether they will be more likely to sustain the change going forward?’”
Participants who followed the DASH program were compared with individuals who received an equal amount of fresh produce — but no guidance on how to prepare or eat it. Researchers found that those who got both the produce and the guidance saw the greatest benefit.
Appealing to the taste buds helps
Nearly half of all U.S. adults have hypertension, which contributes to heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., and stroke is the fourth-leading cause.
Together, heart disease and stroke were linked to more than one in four deaths in the U.S. in 2023. Nearly 60% of Black adults have high blood pressure, a rate the American Heart Association says “is among the highest in the world.”
Black adults are also more likely to have severe cases of the disease, and it can develop at younger ages than in other populations.
Diet control is a well-recognized method for reducing heart disease risk, but many Americans with hypertension struggle to follow a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet. Recently, “food is medicine” strategies have gained popularity, but the best ways to implement them remain unclear.
“We already know there is efficacy; we’re not testing something completely new. But we’re trying to see how we can situate this within clinics and the community,” Ogungbe said. “Our study demonstrates that this is feasible; we can find ways to integrate this into the health system, and we can do it in a way that truly meets people where they are.”
Having guidance led to better results
Researchers conducted a pilot trial with 80 Maryland adults who have hypertension, were about 55 years old on average and live in areas where it is difficult to buy fresh produce. Sixty-two percent of participants were Black. Before the trial began, researchers worked with members of the target communities to design the program and create culturally relevant recipes that followed DASH guidelines.
Half of the participants were randomly assigned to the food intervention group, which included a $30 bag of produce. The remaining participants received fresh produce and general nutrition information, but no additional guidance.
Participants in the intervention group met with a dietitian every other week for one-on-one sessions to discuss meal planning and strategies to support a heart-healthy diet. The sessions were adapted to participants’ individual needs, and when possible, participants were matched with a dietitian from their own cultural background.
At the end of the 24-week trial, participants who received both counseling and fresh produce saw double the reduction in their systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — compared with other participants.
The improvement was even greater for those who incorporated the DASH diet into their routine. Researchers said the results suggest improvements comparable to some blood pressure-lowering medications, though they cautioned that a larger study is needed to confirm the findings.
“This information is really actionable for clinicians, because they can tell patients, your blood pressure is more likely to be lowered if you have the right support in place—the ability to access and afford healthy foods, the confidence to cook with them, culturally aligned guidance from someone who understands your background, and consistent encouragement along the way,” Ogungbe said.
This story originally appeared here.