Fruit and vegetable consumption is inversely associated with blood pressure in a Mediterranean population with a high-fat intake: The Sun Study

Background:
There is evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces blood pressure (BP). Mediterranean diet characteristically is rich in plant-derived foods and also in fat, but studies conducted in Mediterranean countries relating diet with BP are scarce.
 
Methods:
We studied the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and BP in 8,830 participants in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) study, an on-going dynamic cohort study in Spain. Diet was measured using a food-frequency questionnaire previously validated in Spain. Subjects were considered to have high BP if they reported a systolic BP around 140 mm Hg or a diastolic BP around 90 mm Hg.
 
Results:
Fat represented more than 37% of total energy intake. The adjusted prevalence odds ratio of high PB for those in the upper versus the lowest quintile of vegetable consumption was 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.93, p for trend 0.013). For fruit consumption, the adjusted prevalence odds ratio was 0.24 (95% Cl 0.10 to 0.57, p=0.001), after adjusting for risk factors for hypertension and other dietary exposures.
 
Conclusion:
In a Mediterranean population with an elevated fat consumption, a high fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with blood pressure levels. Our results support the findings of the DASH trial in a population with a different dietary profile.