In fact, the number of people with high blood pressure has doubled in the last 40 years — a serious health concern, as high blood pressure is linked to a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, kidney failure and stroke 1, 2. 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 3, 4. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, is a diet recommended for people who want to prevent or treat hypertension — also known as high blood pressure — and reduce their risk of heart disease. The diet was created after researchers noticed that high blood pressure was much less common in people who followed a plant-based diet, such as vegans and vegetarians 5, 6. The diet is low in red meat, salt, added sugars and fat. Scientists believe that one of the main reasons people with high blood pressure can benefit from this diet is because it reduces salt intake. The regular DASH diet program encourages no more than 1 teaspoon 2, mg of sodium per day, which is in line with most national guidelines. The DASH diet was designed to reduce high blood pressure.
Shaking the salt habit. First Name. The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods — and moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. This is because the more you weigh, the higher your blood pressure is likely to be 12, 13, Keep in mind that a decrease in blood pressure does not always translate to a decreased risk of heart disease Other people may have to consciously restrict their intake The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. These findings demonstrate that the individual and combined effects from both sodium reduction and the DASH diet are profound particularly in hypertensive persons with higher BP. Results: Reducing sodium intake from the high to the intermediate level reduced systolic blood pressure by 2.
Government policy-makers and regulators would be wise to encourage, not discourage, such behaviour and health claims. Prehypertension and risk of cardiovascular disease. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health? Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. The regular DASH diet program encourages no more than 1 teaspoon 2, mg of sodium per day, which is in line with most national guidelines.