This randomized dietary intervention trial examined the effects of a high fruit diet on systemic BP in African-Americans. Thirty-eight free-living subjects with systolic BPs between 130-159 mm Hg and diastolic BPs between 85-99 mm Hg, were enrolled for a six week period. The cases were given daily supplements of potassium rich foods: bananas, orange juice and raisins, while no dietary advice or food was given to the controls.
After six weeks, the means systolic BP was 5.79 mm Hg ( p=.009) lower in the cases than the controls. The mean diastolic BP at week six was 3.76 mm Hg (p=.047) lower in the cases than the controls. Analysis of the study participants who had mild hypertension, revealed a mean reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after six weeks of 12.6 mm Hg (p=.131) and 6.53 mm Hg (p=.014) respectively in the cases when compared to the controls. The systolic BP drop for the cases was significant at 14.42 mm Hg (p=.02) after three weeks. High levels of fruit intake (6 to 8 servings/day) was correlated with a significant (P<.05) mean drop in blood pressure (6 to 8.19 mm Hg) in the cases when compared to the controls who consumed one or fewer servings of fruit per day.
The results of this study suggest that a diet high in potassium rich fruits such as bananas, orange juice and raisins is an effective approach to lowering BP in individuals with mild hypertension.
","abstract_html":"<p>This randomized dietary intervention trial examined the effects of a high fruit diet on systemic BP in African-Americans. Thirty-eight free-living subjects with systolic BPs between 130-159 mm Hg and diastolic BPs between 85-99 mm Hg, were enrolled for a six week period. The cases were given daily supplements of potassium rich foods: bananas, orange juice and raisins, while no dietary advice or food was given to the controls.</p> <p>After six weeks, the means systolic BP was 5.79 mm Hg ( p=.009) lower in the cases than the controls. The mean diastolic BP at week six was 3.76 mm Hg (p=.047) lower in the cases than the controls. Analysis of the study participants who had mild hypertension, revealed a mean reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after six weeks of 12.6 mm Hg (p=.131) and 6.53 mm Hg (p=.014) respectively in the cases when compared to the controls. The systolic BP drop for the cases was significant at 14.42 mm Hg (p=.02) after three weeks. High levels of fruit intake (6 to 8 servings/day) was correlated with a significant (P<.05) mean drop in blood pressure (6 to 8.19 mm Hg) in the cases when compared to the controls who consumed one or fewer servings of fruit per day.</p> <p>The results of this study suggest that a diet high in potassium rich fruits such as bananas, orange juice and raisins is an effective approach to lowering BP in individuals with mild hypertension.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gibbons, Leonard L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Glen Blix","Susanne Montgomery","Warren Peters"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2000,"date_issued":"2000-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2000-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:37Z","subjects":["Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition","Preventive Medicine","Public Health Education and Promotion","Blood Pressure -- African Americans -- United States; Vegetables; Nutrition; Hypertension -- diet therapy; Fruit."],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1032","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Glen Blix","Susanne Montgomery","Warren Peters"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gibbons, Leonard L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition","Preventive Medicine","Public Health Education and Promotion","Blood Pressure -- African Americans -- United States; Vegetables; Nutrition; Hypertension -- diet therapy; Fruit."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1032"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This randomized dietary intervention trial examined the effects of a high fruit diet on systemic BP in African-Americans. Thirty-eight free-living subjects with systolic BPs between 130-159 mm Hg and diastolic BPs between 85-99 mm Hg, were enrolled for a six week period. The cases were given daily supplements of potassium rich foods: bananas, orange juice and raisins, while no dietary advice or food was given to the controls.
After six weeks, the means systolic BP was 5.79 mm Hg ( p=.009) lower in the cases than the controls. The mean diastolic BP at week six was 3.76 mm Hg (p=.047) lower in the cases than the controls. Analysis of the study participants who had mild hypertension, revealed a mean reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after six weeks of 12.6 mm Hg (p=.131) and 6.53 mm Hg (p=.014) respectively in the cases when compared to the controls. The systolic BP drop for the cases was significant at 14.42 mm Hg (p=.02) after three weeks. High levels of fruit intake (6 to 8 servings/day) was correlated with a significant (P<.05) mean drop in blood pressure (6 to 8.19 mm Hg) in the cases when compared to the controls who consumed one or fewer servings of fruit per day.
The results of this study suggest that a diet high in potassium rich fruits such as bananas, orange juice and raisins is an effective approach to lowering BP in individuals with mild hypertension.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effects of High Fruit Intake on Systematic Blood Pressure in African Americans"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Glen Blix","Susanne Montgomery","Warren Peters"],"dc:creator":["Gibbons, Leonard L."],"dc:description.abstract":["This randomized dietary intervention trial examined the effects of a high fruit diet on systemic BP in African-Americans. Thirty-eight free-living subjects with systolic BPs between 130-159 mm Hg and diastolic BPs between 85-99 mm Hg, were enrolled for a six week period. The cases were given daily supplements of potassium rich foods: bananas, orange juice and raisins, while no dietary advice or food was given to the controls.
After six weeks, the means systolic BP was 5.79 mm Hg ( p=.009) lower in the cases than the controls. The mean diastolic BP at week six was 3.76 mm Hg (p=.047) lower in the cases than the controls. Analysis of the study participants who had mild hypertension, revealed a mean reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after six weeks of 12.6 mm Hg (p=.131) and 6.53 mm Hg (p=.014) respectively in the cases when compared to the controls. The systolic BP drop for the cases was significant at 14.42 mm Hg (p=.02) after three weeks. High levels of fruit intake (6 to 8 servings/day) was correlated with a significant (P<.05) mean drop in blood pressure (6 to 8.19 mm Hg) in the cases when compared to the controls who consumed one or fewer servings of fruit per day.
The results of this study suggest that a diet high in potassium rich fruits such as bananas, orange juice and raisins is an effective approach to lowering BP in individuals with mild hypertension.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1032"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition","Preventive Medicine","Public Health Education and Promotion","Blood Pressure -- African Americans -- United States; Vegetables; Nutrition; Hypertension -- diet therapy; Fruit."],"dc:title":["Effects of High Fruit Intake on Systematic Blood Pressure in African Americans"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:37Z"}