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The DASH diet offers a powerful, evidence-based approach to lowering blood pressure through nutritional changes rather than medication.
• Stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
• Focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy
• Limits sodium, saturated fat, added sugars, and processed meats
• Can lower systolic blood pressure by 5-6 points and diastolic by 3 points
• Recommends 4-5 servings each of fruits and vegetables daily
• Suggests 6-8 servings of whole grains per day
• Advises limiting sodium to 1,500mg daily for those with hypertension
• Provides numerous meal ideas including oatmeal with berries, turkey sandwiches, and grilled salmon
• Encourages using herbs and spices instead of salt for flavoring
• Benefits extend beyond blood pressure to include improved cholesterol and weight management
For more information about hypertension management, check out our previous episodes: episode 4 (explaining hypertension), episode 5 (lifestyle changes), episode 14 (common medications), and episode 33 (measuring blood pressure at home).
References
1. Diets. Yannakoulia M, Scarmeas N. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2024;390(22):2098-2106. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2211889.
2. Treatment of Hypertension: A Review. Carey RM, Moran AE, Whelton PK. JAMA. 2022;328(18):1849-1861. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19590.
3. DASH Dietary Pattern and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Chiavaroli L, Viguiliouk E, Nishi SK, et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(2):E338. doi:10.3390/nu11020338.
4. Primary Prevention of ASCVD and T2DM in Patients at Metabolic Risk: An Endocrine Society* Clinical Practice Guideline. Rosenzweig JL, Bakris GL, Berglund LF, et al. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2019;104(9):3939-3985. doi:10.1210/jc.2019-01338.
5. Recommended Dietary Pattern to Achieve Adherence to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Guidelines: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Van Horn L, Carson JA, Appel LJ, et al. Circulation. 2016;134(22):e505-e529. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000462.
6. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) for the Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases. Bensaaud A, Seery S, Gibson I, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2025;5:CD013729. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013729.pub2.
7. Popular Dietary Patterns: Alignment With American Heart Association 2021 Dietary Guidance: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Gardner CD, Vadiveloo MK, Petersen KS, et al. Circulation. 2023;147(22):1715-1730. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001146.
8. Dietary Approaches to Prevent and Treat Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Appel LJ, Brands MW, Daniels SR, et al. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 2006;47(2):296-308. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000202568.01167.B6.
9. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH): Potential Mechanisms of Action Against Risk Factors of the Metabolic Syndrome. Akhlaghi M. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2020;33(1):1-18. doi:10.1017/S0954422419000155.
10. The Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet on Metabolic Risk Factors in Patients With Chronic Disease:
Production and Content: Edward Delesky, MD & Nicole Aruffo, RN
Artwork: Olivia Pawlowski
