The relationship between the intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products with hypertension: findings from the STEPS study

Abstract Background The current research aimed to evaluate the relationship between fruit, vegetable (FV), and dairy consumption with the odds of developing hypertension based on nationwide Stepwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) data in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was accomplished by the research center of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Tehran. In total, 29,378 individuals’ data were analyzed. Participants were classified into normal, elevated BP, stage I, and stage II hypertension according to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) examinations. Based on the STEPS questionnaire, the consumption of FVs and dairy products was evaluated. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between the consumption of FVs and dairy products with hypertension. Results The findings revealed that only fruit consumption (≥ 2 servings/day) was negatively related to stage I hypertension (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.95) in two servings per day and OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68–0.96 in > two servings per day) in the adjusted model. There was no significant relationship between consuming vegetables and dairy products with elevated BP and hypertension. Conclusion Our study showed that increasing fruit consumption was related to reducing hypertension odds. Regarding the consumption of dairy products and vegetables, no significant relationship was found with the odds of hypertension. More studies, especially cohorts, are needed to evaluate the impacts of FV and dairy products on the risk of hypertension.