Diets high in common or citrus/cruciferous fruits and vegetables did not significantly affect office blood pressure compared to a low fruit and vegetable diet in adults with untreated prehypertension.
RCT (n=39)
Randomized crossover
Yes
Do diets high in specific fruit and vegetable types improve office blood pressure in free-living adults with untreated prehypertension?
Different types of fruits and vegetables may differentially modulate lipid profiles in prehypertensive adults within 2 weeks, despite no measurable short-term effects on blood pressure or vascular function.
Background: Epidemiological evidence shows that fruit and vegetable (FV) intake reduces cardiovascular risk. Comparative effects of diets with different FV types on cardiometabolic disease risk markers remain unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of standardised diets differing in FV types on vascular function, other cardiometabolic disease risk markers, urinary and plasma biomarkers in free-living adults with untreated prehypertension. Methods: In a 9-wk randomised, controlled, crossover trial at 2 centres, 39 adults consumed standardised, provided diets with either 8 daily portions of common FV (apple, banana, pear, bell pepper, carrot, tomato), 8 daily portions of citrus and cruciferous FV, or 2 daily portions (low FV diet, control) for 2 wk per arm, with a 1-wk washout. Adherence was assessed using 24-h urinary potassium, sodium, and targeted plasma carotenoids and metabolites. The primary outcome was office blood pressure; secondary outcomes included pulse wave velocity (pwv), augmentation index standardised at 75 beats per minute (AIX75), lipids, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Between-group differences were assessed using linear mixed models with diet and period as fixed effects, and participant as random effect. Results: Thirty-six participants completed the study (67% male, mean age 54±6 y; systolic BP 131.7±9.0 mmHg, total cholesterol: 5.4±1.1 mmol/L). No between-group differences were observed in office BP, PWV, AIX75, or CRP. Both common and citrus fruits and cruciferous FV diets tended to increase 24-h urinary potassium (by 6.94 mmol/24-h, P ≤0.1; 8.0 mmol/24-h, P ≤0.06, respectively), while 24-h urinary sodium remained comparable across diets (P≥0.87). Common FV diet significantly increased α- and β-carotene, and lycopene ( P ≤6.3x10 -4 ), whereas citrus fruits and cruciferous FV increased lutein/zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, proline betaine, N-methylproline, and S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide ( P ≤6.9x10 -8 ). Common FV diet reduced total (-0.19 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.32,-0.05), LDL (-0.15 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.26,-0.03), and HDL (-0.05 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.09,-0.00) cholesterol, whereas citrus and cruciferous FV reduced urinary creatinine (-1.19 mmol/24-h, 95% CI: -2.27,-0.11). No effects were observed on weight and physical activity. Conclusions: Objective biomarkers confirmed FV adherence and suggest that FV types differentially modulate lipid and metabolic responses within 2 wk, without measurable vascular effects.
Griep et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Untreated prehypertension (n=39). Common fruits and vegetables or citrus and cruciferous fruits and vegetables vs. Low fruit and vegetable diet (2 daily portions) was evaluated on Office blood pressure. Diets high in common or citrus/cruciferous fruits and vegetables did not significantly affect office blood pressure compared to a low fruit and vegetable diet in adults with untreated prehypertension.