Dash Diet-Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure affects more than a billion people worldwide and that number is rising. The number of people with high blood pressure has doubled in the last 40 years — a serious health concern. High blood pressure is linked to heart disease, kidney failure and stroke.

This blog examines the DASH diet, which was designed to combat high blood pressure and reduce heart disease.

DASH Diet

DASH is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends:

1. Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
2. Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
3. Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
4. Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets.

Benefits

Lower Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of the force put on your blood vessels and organs as your blood passes through them. It's counted in two numbers:

Systolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.

Diastolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.

Normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic pressure below 120 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mm Hg. This is normally written with the systolic blood pressure above the diastolic pressure, like this: 120/80.

People with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 are considered to have high blood pressure. Interestingly, the DASH diet demonstrably lowers blood pressure in both healthy people and those with high blood pressure. People on the DASH diet still experienced lower blood pressure even if they did not lose weight or restrict salt intake.

However, when sodium intake was restricted, the DASH diet lowered blood pressure even further. In fact, the greatest reductions in blood pressure were seen in people with the lowest salt consumption. These low-salt DASH diet results were most impressive in people who already had high blood pressure, reducing systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg. In people with normal blood pressure, it reduced systolic blood pressure by 4 mm Hg and diastolic by 2 mm Hg.

Weight Loss

Studies suggest that people can lose weight on the DASH diet. However, if you already have high blood pressure, chances are you have been advised to lose weight. This is because the more you weigh, the higher your blood pressure is likely to be. Additionally, losing weight has been shown to lower blood pressure.

However, those who have lost weight on the DASH diet have been in a controlled calorie deficit. Either way, if you want to lose weight on the DASH diet, you will still need to go on a calorie-reduced diet.

Other Benefits

DASH may also affect other areas of health. The diet:

1. Decreases cancer risk: A recent review indicated that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer.
2. Lowers metabolic syndrome risk: Some studies note that the DASH diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81%.
3. Lowers diabetes risk: The diet has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies demonstrate that it can improve insulin resistance as well.
4. Decreases heart disease risk: In one recent review in women, following a DASH-like diet was associated with a 20% lower risk of heart disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke.
5. Many of these protective effects are attributed to the diet’s high fruit and vegetable content. In general, eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce risk of disease.

Sample Foods

The DASH diet does not specific foods to eat. Instead, it recommends specific servings of different food groups. The number of servings you can eat depends on how many calories you consume. Below is an example of food portions based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Whole Grains: 6–8 Servings per Day

Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat or whole-grain breads, whole-grain breakfast cereals, brown rice, Bulgar, quinoa and oatmeal.

1. Examples of a serving include:
2. 1 slice of whole-grain bread
3. 1 ounce (28 grams) of dry, whole-grain cereal
4. 1/2 cup (95 grams) of cooked rice, pasta or cereal

Vegetables: 4–5 Servings per Day

All vegetables are allowed on the DASH diet. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 cup (about 30 grams) of raw, leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale
2. 1/2 cup (about 45 grams) of sliced vegetables — raw or cooked — like broccoli, carrots, squash or tomatoes

Fruits: 4–5 Servings per Day

If you are following the DASH approach, you will be eating a lot of fruit. Examples of fruits you can eat include apples, pears, peaches, berries and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 medium apple
2. 1/4 cup (50 grams) of dried apricots
3. 1/2 cup (30 grams) of fresh, frozen or canned peaches

Dairy Products: 2–3 Servings per Day

Dairy products on the DASH diet should be low in fat. Examples include skim milk and low-fat cheese and yogurt. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 cup (240 ml) of low-fat milk
2. 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt
3. 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese

Lean Chicken, Meat and Fish: 6 or Fewer Servings per Day

Choose lean cuts of meat and try to eat a serving of red meat only occasionally — no more than once or twice a week. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 ounce (28 grams) of cooked meat, chicken or fish
2. 1 egg

Nuts, Seeds and Legumes: 4–5 Servings per Week

These include almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, kidney beans, lentils and split peas. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1/3 cup (50 grams) of nuts
2. 2 tablespoons (40 grams) of nut butter
3. 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of seeds
4. 1/2 cup (40 grams) of cooked legumes

Fats and Oils: 2–3 Servings per Day

The DASH diet recommends vegetable oils over other oils. These include margarines and oils like canola, corn, olive or safflower. It also recommends low-fat mayonnaise and light salad dressing. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) of soft margarine
2. 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vegetable oil
3. 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of mayonnaise
4. 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of salad dressing

Candy and Added Sugars: 5 or Fewer Servings per Week

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. Examples of a serving include:

1. 1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) of sugar
2. 1 tablespoon (20 grams) of jelly or jam
3. 1 cup (240 ml) of lemonade

Sample Menu for One Week

An example of a one-week meal plan — based on 2,000 calories per day — for the regular DASH diet:

Monday

Breakfast: 1 cup (90 grams) of oatmeal with 1 cup (240 ml) of skim milk, 1/2 cup (75 grams) of blueberries and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium apple and 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt.
Lunch: Tuna and mayonnaise sandwich made with 2 slices of whole-grain bread, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of mayonnaise, 1.5 cups (113 grams) of green salad and 3 ounces (80 grams) of canned tuna.
Snack: 1 medium banana.
Dinner: 3 ounces (85 grams) of lean chicken breast cooked in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vegetable oil with 1/2 cup (75 grams) each of broccoli and carrots. Served with 1 cup (190 grams) of brown rice.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 slices of whole-wheat toast with 1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) of margarine, 1 tablespoon (20 grams) of jelly or jam, 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice and 1 medium apple.
Snack: 1 medium banana.
Lunch: 3 ounces (85 grams) of lean chicken breast with 2 cups (150 grams) of green salad, 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese and 1 cup (190 grams) of brown rice.
Snack: 1/2 cup (30 grams) of canned peaches and 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: 3 ounces (85 grams) of salmon cooked in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vegetable oil with 1 cup (300 grams) of boiled potatoes and 1.5 cups (225 grams) of boiled vegetables.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 1 cup (90 grams) of oatmeal with 1 cup (240 ml) of skim milk and 1/2 cup (75 grams) of blueberries. 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium orange.
Lunch: 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, 3 ounces (85 grams) of lean turkey, 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese, 1/2 cup (38 grams) of green salad and 1/2 cup (38 grams) of cherry tomatoes.
Snack: 4 whole-grain crackers with 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of cottage cheese and 1/2 cup (75 grams) of canned pineapple.
Dinner: 6 ounces (170 grams) of cod fillet, 1 cup (200 grams) of mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup (75 grams) of green peas and 1/2 cup (75 grams) of broccoli.

Thursday

Breakfast: 1 cup (90 grams) of oatmeal with 1 cup (240 ml) of skim milk and 1/2 cup (75 grams) of raspberries. 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium banana.
Lunch: Salad made with 4.5 ounces (130 grams) of grilled tuna, 1 boiled egg, 2 cups (152 grams) of green salad, 1/2 cup (38 grams) of cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of low-fat dressing.
Snack: 1/2 cup (30 grams) of canned pears and 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: 3 ounces (85 grams) of pork fillet with 1 cup (150 grams) of mixed vegetables and 1 cup (190 grams) of brown rice.

Friday

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon with 1/2 cup (38 grams) of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup (80 grams) of baked beans and 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium apple.
Lunch: 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise, 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese, 1/2 cup (38 grams) of salad greens and 1/2 cup (38 grams) of cherry tomatoes.
Snack: 1 cup of fruit salad.
Dinner: Spaghetti and meatballs made with 1 cup (190 grams) of spaghetti and 4 ounces (115 grams) of minced turkey. 1/2 cup (75 grams) of green peas on the side.

Saturday

Breakfast: 2 slices of whole-wheat toast with 2 tablespoons (40 grams) of peanut butter, 1 medium banana, 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of mixed seeds and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium apple.
Lunch: 3 ounces (85 grams) of grilled chicken, 1 cup (150 grams) of roasted vegetables and 1 cup (190 grams) couscous.
Snack: 1/2 cup (30 grams) of mixed berries and 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: 3 ounces (85 grams) of pork steak and 1 cup (150 grams) of ratatouille with 1 cup (190 grams) of brown rice, 1/2 cup (40 grams) of lentils and 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese.
Dessert: Low-fat chocolate pudding.

Sunday

Breakfast: 1 cup (90 grams) of oatmeal with 1 cup (240 ml) of skim milk, 1/2 cup (75 grams) of blueberries and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Snack: 1 medium pear.
Lunch: Chicken salad made with 3 ounces (85 grams) of lean chicken breast, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, 2 cups (150 grams) of green salad, 1/2 cup (75 grams) of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon (4 grams) of seeds and 4 whole-grain crackers.
Snack: 1 banana and 1/2 cup (70 grams) of almonds.
Dinner: 3 ounces of roast beef with 1 cup (150 grams) of boiled potatoes, 1/2 cup (75 grams) of broccoli and 1/2 cup (75 grams) of green peas.

Make Your Diet DASH

There are no set foods on the DASH diet, you can adapt your current diet to the DASH guidelines by doing the following:

1. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
2. Swap refined grains for whole grains.
3. Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
4. Choose lean protein sources like fish, poultry and beans.
5. Cook with vegetable oils.
6. Limit your intake of foods high in added sugars, like soda and candy.
7. Limit your intake of foods high in saturated fats like fatty meats, full-fat dairy and oils like coconut and palm oil.

Exercise on DASH Diet

The DASH diet is even more effective at lowering blood pressure when paired with physical activity. Given the independent benefits of exercise on health, this is not surprising. It is recommended to do 30 minutes of moderate activity most days, and it is important to choose something you enjoy — this way, you will be more likely to keep it up.
Examples of moderate activity include:

1. Brisk walking (15 minutes per mile or 9 minutes per kilometer)
2. Running (10 minutes per mile or 6 minutes per kilometer)
3. Cycling (6 minutes per mile or 4 minutes per kilometer)
4. Swimming laps (20 minutes)
5. Housework (60 minutes)

Takeaway

The DASH diet may be an easy and effective way to reduce blood pressure. However, keep in mind that cutting daily salt intake to 3/4 teaspoon (1,500 mg) or less has not been linked to any hard health benefits such as a reduced risk of heart disease, despite the fact that it can lower blood pressure.