The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is more than just a weight loss plan; it's a comprehensive eating pattern designed to promote overall health, with a particular focus on managing blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease and kidney disease. It is recommended by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The DASH diet can help lower high blood pressure, cholesterol and other fats in your blood. It can help lower your risk for heart attack and stroke and help you lose weight. This diet is low in sodium (salt) and rich in nutrients. The DASH Diet has been recommended by the National Kidney Foundation and approved by The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, The American Heart Association, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and also forms the basis for the USDA MyPyramid.
What is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet is not considered a low-carb diet. It is a flexible and balanced eating plan that gives choices of what to eat. The diet helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. There's no need for special foods or drinks. It simply calls for a certain number of daily servings from various food groups. The number of servings depends on the number of calories you choose to eat every day. Your caloric needs depend on your age, gender and activity level.
The DASH diet focuses on eating heart-healthy foods that you can find in your grocery store. The DASH Diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It is low in salt and sodium, added sugars and sweets, fat and red meats.
Key Principles of the DASH Diet
- Emphasis on Fruits and Vegetables: The DASH diet encourages a high intake of fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in sodium and rich in essential nutrients.
- Lean Protein Sources: Prioritizes lean meats, poultry, and fish over fatty red meats.
- Whole Grains: Recommends whole grains over refined grains for their higher fiber and nutrient content.
- Low-Fat Dairy: Includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products as a good source of calcium and other nutrients.
- Limited Sodium Intake: One of the cornerstones of the DASH diet is limiting sodium intake, which can significantly impact blood pressure. You can choose the “regular” DASH plan, which limits your daily sodium intake to around 2300mg or you can choose the lower sodium version, which limits your daily sodium intake to around 1500mg.
- Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes: Incorporates nuts, seeds, and legumes as healthy sources of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Health Benefits of the DASH Diet
The benefits of DASH are well-documented. As diet is thought to play a major role in the development of high blood pressure, scientists and policymakers have engineered specific dietary strategies to help reduce it. Multiple studies have found that people who follow DASH can lower their blood pressure within a few weeks.
Blood Pressure Management
The DASH diet reduces high blood pressure by lowering the amount of sodium in your diet to 2300 milligrams (mg) a day. Lowering sodium to 1500 mg a day reduces blood pressure even more. The DASH diet also includes a variety of foods rich in nutrients that may help some people lower blood pressure, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The DASH combination of nutrient-rich foods and lower sodium intake has a proven effect on blood pressure. And multiple studies have found that following the DASH diet quickly lowers blood pressure - in as little as two weeks.
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Weight Loss
If you follow the DASH eating plan, research shows you’ll likely shed pounds. Patton says you can combine the DASH diet with calorie cutting if you want to lose more weight. But don’t go to extremes. “If you try to cut calories quickly and dramatically, you’ll probably feel hungry and tired,” she warns. A 2020 study found that following DASH containing at least 126 grams (g) of lean protein helped older adults over 65 with obesity reduce body fat. A 2023 study also suggests DASH can be helpful in lowering belly fat.
Cholesterol Improvement
Research shows that the DASH diet may help lower cholesterol. Having high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. The DASH diet can help lower high blood pressure, cholesterol and other fats in your blood.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Research shows that following DASH could lower your risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer and metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A 2019 review found that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of cancer, specifically breast, hepatic, endometrial, and lung cancer. The diet has been linked to a lower chance of diabetes. Research also demonstrates that it may improve insulin resistance as well. A 2019 review found that following DASH may be linked to a lower chance of developing heart disease. Specifically, research suggests this diet may help lower various risk factors for heart disease, such as blood cholesterol, sugar, and fats.
Foods to Eat on the DASH Diet
On the DASH diet, you can eat foods from all food groups. But you will include more of the foods that are naturally low in salt, cholesterol, and saturated fats. You will also include foods that are high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fiber.
Recommended Food Groups
- Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings a day. Examples include: 1 cup (70 grams) raw leafy vegetables or ½ cup (90 grams) chopped raw or cooked vegetables. All vegetables are allowed on the DASH diet.
- Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day. Examples include: 1 medium fruit (6 ounces or 168 grams) or ½ cup (90 grams) fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. If you’re following the DASH approach, you’ll be eating a lot of fruit. Examples of fruits you can eat include apples, pears, peaches, berries, and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.
- Low-fat or Fat-free Dairy Products: 2 to 3 servings a day. Examples include: 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk or yogurt or 1½ ounce (oz) or 42 grams cheese. Dairy products on the DASH diet should be low in fat. Examples include skim milk, low-fat cheese, and yogurt.
- Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day, and 3 should be whole grains. Examples include: 1 slice bread or ½ cup (80 grams) cooked rice, pasta, or cereal or 1 ounce (28 grams) dry cereal. Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fiber and nutrients. Swap refined grains for whole grains.
- Fish, Lean Meats, and Poultry: 2 servings or less a day. Examples include: 1 oz (28 grams) of cooked fish, lean meat, or poultry or 1 egg. Choose lean cuts of meat and try to eat a serving of red meat only occasionally - no more than once or twice a week.
- Beans, Seeds, and Nuts: 4 to 5 servings a week. Examples include: ½ cup (90 grams) cooked legumes (dried beans, peas) or 1/3 cup (45 grams) of unsalted nuts or 1 tablespoon (10 grams) seeds.
- Fats and Oils: 2 to 3 servings a day. Examples include: 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons (30 grams) low-fat salad dressing or 1 teaspoon (5 grams) soft margarine. The DASH diet recommends vegetable oils over other oils. These include margarine and oils like canola, corn, olive, or safflower. It also recommends low fat mayonnaise and light salad dressing.
- Sweets or Added Sugars: Fewer than 5 servings a week. Examples include: 1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar or 1 tablespoon (15 grams) jelly or jam or ½ cup (75 grams) sorbet, gelatin or 1cup (240 milliliters) lemonade. Added sugars are kept to a minimum on the DASH diet, so limit your intake of candy, soda, and table sugar. The DASH diet also restricts unrefined sugars and alternative sugar sources, like agave nectar.
Foods to Limit on the DASH Diet
DASH encourages you to cut back on foods that can raise your blood pressure.
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Foods to Avoid or Minimize
- Fatty and processed red meats: like hot dogs, bologna, sausage and poultry with the skin on
- Full-fat dairy: like whole milk, cream and butter
- Oils that are solid at room temperature: like coconut and palm oils
- High-sugar foods: like candy, baked goods and desserts
- High-sugar drinks: like soda, juice and sweetened coffee or tea
- Processed and packaged foods: are often high in salt, even if they don’t taste salty,”
Getting Started with the DASH Diet
The DASH diet is designed to be easy to follow. But it might mean making some changes to how you currently eat.
Tips for Implementing the DASH Diet
- Start Gradually: Do not try to make changes all at once. It's fine to change your eating habits gradually.
- Increase Vegetable Intake: To add vegetables to your diet, try having a salad at lunch. Or, add cucumber, lettuce, shredded carrots, or tomatoes to your sandwiches. There should always be something green on your plate. It's fine to use frozen vegetables instead of fresh. Just make sure the package does not contain added salt or fat.
- Choose Healthy Snacks: Choose healthy snacks, such as unsalted rice cakes or popcorn, raw vegetables, or yogurt. Dried fruits, seeds, and nuts also make great snack choices. Just keep these portions small because these foods are high in total calories.
- Limit Meat Consumption: Think of meat as part of your meal, instead of the main course. Limit your servings of lean meat to 6 ounces (170 grams) a day. You can have two 3-ounce (85 grams) servings during the day. Try cooking without meat at least twice each week. Instead, eat beans, nuts, tofu, or eggs for your protein.
- Reduce Sodium Intake: Take the salt shaker off the table. Flavor your food with herbs and spices instead of salt. Lemon, lime, and vinegar also add flavor. Avoid canned foods and frozen entrees. They are often high in salt. When you make things from scratch you have more control over how much salt goes in them. Check all food labels for sodium. You may be surprised at how much you find, and where you find it. Frozen dinners, soups, salad dressings, and prepared foods often have a lot of sodium. Choose foods that contain less than 5% of the daily value of sodium. Look for low-sodium versions of foods when you can find them. Limit foods and condiments that have a lot of salt, such as pickles, olives, cured meats, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, and barbeque sauce. When dining out, ask that your food be made with no added salt or MSG.
- Read Food Labels: If you’re following DASH, read food labels for sodium content and keep track of how much you’re getting. Look for words that indicate high sodium on product labels. Food that’s smoked, cured or pickled, or contains soy sauce and broth tends to be high in sodium.
- Healthy Substitutions: Lower the sodium content by skipping salt and trimming back high-sodium sauces. Add more veggies and fruit to your recipe. Reduce meat or choose lean, skinless meats. Replace butter or solid oils with unsaturated oils, like olive, canola or avocado oil. Swap processed white bread and grains for whole grains.
Sample DASH Diet Meal Plan
To help you get started with the DASH diet eating plan, here are three days of menus based on the DASH diet. The menus are based on a diet of 2,000 calories or less each day. Talk to your health care professional or a dietitian about your calorie goals.
Day 1
- Breakfast: 2-minute super-charged oatmeal (360 calories and 140 mg sodium per serving)
- Lunch: Crunchy broccoli walnut salad (170 calories and 60 mg sodium per serving)
- Dinner: Roasted cauliflower tacos (354 calories and 149 mg sodium per serving)
Day 2
- Breakfast: Chia and berry breakfast pudding (430 calories and 95 mg sodium per serving)
- Lunch: Curried squash and sweet potato soup (155 calories and 186 mg sodium per serving)
- Dinner: Salmon marsala (450 calories and 147 mg sodium)
Day 3
- Breakfast: Tropical breakfast bowl (333 calories and 270 mg sodium per serving)
- Lunch: A cool twist on avocado toast (168 calories and 129 mg sodium per serving)
- Dinner: Turkey burgers with apples, onions and peppers (250 calories and 227 mg sodium per serving)
Who is the DASH diet for?
The DASH diet is a recognized treatment for hypertension, heart disease, and kidney disease and can slow the progression of heart and kidney disease. Your health care provider may suggest cutting back to 1500 mg a day if you: Already have high blood pressure, Have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, Are African American, Are age 51 years or older. If you take medicine to treat high blood pressure, do not stop taking your medicine while on the DASH diet. Be sure to tell your provider you are following the DASH diet. The DASH diet should not be used by people on dialysis. Individuals on dialysis have special dietary needs that should be discussed with a registered dietitian.
Additional Considerations
- Alcohol Consumption: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 1 to 2 drinks or fewer a day for men and 1 drink or less a day for women. For those who do not drink alcohol, it is recommended not to start drinking. Drinking too much alcohol can increase blood pressure.
- Caffeine Intake: The DASH diet doesn't talk about caffeine. How caffeine affects blood pressure isn't clear. If you have high blood pressure or if you think caffeine affects your blood pressure, think about cutting down.
- Exercise: You should also get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week. Examples include brisk walking or riding a bike. Aim to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of exercise per week.
Read also: The DASH Diet and Blood Sugar