What Is the DASH Diet?
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a diet that is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in an effort to control and prevent high blood pressure. This diet is rich in healthy foods such as low-dairy foods, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It also recommends the consumption of beans, nuts, poultry, meat, and fish while limiting the intake of red meat, sweetened foods, and added fats. Besides controlling hypertension, the DASH diet also has a well-balanced approach to food.
The National institute of Health (NIH) based the DASH diet from their studies that examined three dietary plans. Although none of the examined diets were vegetarian, the DASH diet incorporates more vegetables and fruits, nuts, beans, and low-fat dairy. The DASH diet has been observed to reduce the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 6 mmHg and 3 mmHg respectively in normal individuals. In patients with high blood pressure, it reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 11 mmHg and 6 mmHg. These changes were seen without any modifications in body weight and based on a daily caloric intake that ranges from 1600 to 3100 calories per day.
