DASH diet image - NIHDietary Trial

Overview - In total, 48,835 women 50-79 years of age at baseline participated in the WHI Dietary Modification (DM) Trial from 1994-2005, with women being randomized from 1994-1998.  Participants in the DM Trial were randomized to one of two study groups:

  • Intervention arm (Dietary Change group) (n=19,541):  These women were asked to lower their fat intake to 20% of energy, increase fruit/vegetable servings to five or more daily, and increase grain servings to six or more daily. The intervention did not include a weight loss component, though on average, women did lose a modest amount of weight.  Groups of 8-15 participants attended nutritionist-facilitated sessions to learn how to lower their dietary fat intake and increase their fruit and vegetable and grain intake. They also learned how to maintain the changes.

  • Control arm (Usual Diet or Comparison group) (n=29,294):  These women were not asked to make any dietary changes, but were given a copy of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for general nutrition information.

Findings - To learn more about some of the main findings from the WHI Dietary Modification Trial, see these summaries of scientific publications:

Additional Information - Visit Questions and Answers about the WHI Dietary Modification (DM) Trial for additional details about the study and its findings.