DASH diet plan
The DASH diet, which stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension," is a nutritional plan originally designed to help lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. This eating plan emphasizes the consumption of whole, natural foods, including fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy, while minimizing unhealthy fats and added sugars. Research shows that the DASH diet not only aids in reducing blood pressure but also supports weight loss, heart health, and lowers the risk of diabetes and kidney stones.
The diet encourages high fiber intake and is rich in essential nutrients like potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which are beneficial for overall health. It also advises limiting sodium intake and being mindful of caffeine consumption. The DASH diet is flexible and can be tailored to individual goals, such as weight management or vegetarian preferences. Overall, it is recognized for its ease of adaptation, allowing individuals to enjoy a variety of foods without needing specialized diet products. This adaptability has contributed to its acclaim, being named one of the top diets in various rankings for several years.
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DASH diet plan
The DASH diet is an eating plan that was originally designed to provide a dietary approach to lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension and elevated blood pressure. DASH stands for "dietary approaches to stop hypertension." The plan emphasizes eating fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy, which naturally results in a diet high in fiber and several nutrients that help regulate blood pressure. Since it was first promoted in the late 1990s, it has been determined that in addition to lowering blood pressure the diet is an effective way to lose weight, prevent heart disease, and reduce the risk of diabetes and kidney stones.
Background
Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts against the arteries in the circulatory system as it moves through the body. Hypertension—high blood pressure—is a health condition in which this pressure is consistently higher than 130 mmHG systolic or 80 mmHG diastolic. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHG over 80 mmHG; elevated blood pressure is 120–129 mmHG systolic and less than 80 mmHG diastolic. The notation mmHG stands for millimeters of mercury and is a unit of pressure used to measure the blood's force. High blood pressure can damage the heart, vascular system, kidneys, eyes, and other parts of the body, causing serious health conditions and death.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognized an increase in incidence of high blood pressure during the 1970s. NIH initiated several studies to determine if dietary changes could reduce the number of cases of high blood pressure and control it in those who already had it. The agency commissioned the DASH study and worked with five research centers to create outpatient feeding studies to test the impact of diet on blood pressure. Working with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina; Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon; and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the NIH gathered participants for three studies, which were conducted between 1993 and 1997. These included the DASH trial, the DASH-sodium trial, and the Premier trial.
The participants in the first trial were assigned to follow one of three diets for an eight-week period: a fruits and vegetables diet, the DASH diet, or a normal American diet. This last group served as a control group. In the DASH-sodium trial, two groups consumed either the standard American diet or the DASH diet. In each case, individuals in the group following the DASH diet showed improvement in their blood pressure within two weeks. The fruit and vegetable diet group in the first trial also showed improvement, but to a lesser degree. In the Premier trial, participants were divided into three groups that received either advice on improving health, an established medical treatment plan plus six months of counseling, or an established medical treatment plan plus counseling and the DASH diet information. All three groups showed improvement, but the DASH diet group showed the greatest change for the better.
Overview
High blood pressure is a chronic condition that can be controlled and minimized but not usually cured. As a result, the DASH diet is more of a lifelong eating plan than a short-term program. It focuses on whole, natural foods such as fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat free dairy, whole grains, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts and legumes, with minimal amounts of fats and added sugars. Eating this way automatically increases the amounts of nutrients and minerals consumed, such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure.
The dietary guidelines also call for limiting salt intake, as sodium has been identified as a possible cause of increased blood pressure. Persons following the plan are also advised to consider their caffeine intake, as caffeine may potentially have a negative effect on blood pressure. It should be noted that the dietary recommendations of the DASH plan have been modified since the original DASH diet, which included more starches and refined grains. Additional research since that time has led to revisions in the diet to include a greater emphasis on whole grains.
Medical experts have developed several versions of the DASH diet, depending on the person's overall goal and lifestyle preferences. One plan focuses on reducing blood pressure, one is for weight loss and blood pressure reduction, and one is for persons seeking either of those outcomes who prefer a vegetarian lifestyle. Regardless of the plan an individual chooses, however, the DASH diet's emphasis on whole fresh foods has led to it being referred to as the American version of the Mediterranean diet.
A person who wants to follow the DASH diet can visit the NIH DASH website (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/followdash). First, the person will determine a daily calorie goal using the resources provided. The plan provides guidelines for how many servings of each type of food to eat each day depending on one's activity level, age, and gender. Any diet changes should be approved by a physician.
For example, a woman between the ages of thirty-one and fifty who is moderately active and who is following a two thousand calorie per day diet will have six to eight servings of whole grains, four or five servings each of vegetables and fruit, two to three servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy, six or fewer servings of lean meat, poultry, or fish, and two to three servings of fats and oils. The individual should also include four to five servings of nuts and legumes a week and no more than five servings of sweetened food per week. The daily sodium amount should not exceed 2,300 milligrams; for the low-sodium plan, the limit is 1,500 milligrams. The diet provides guidelines for what constitutes a serving for each food; for instance, a serving of meat or poultry is an ounce, so a six-ounce steak would be the entire protein allotment for one day.
The DASH diet is adaptable because it allows for variety and does not require any special or diet foods; this means that a person using DASH can make and/or eat the same foods as the rest of the family. It is also easily adjusted when eating in restaurants and other settings and allows for the person's food preferences because it does not require the consumption of any specific foods. The adaptability and success of the diet in reducing both blood pressure and weight has resulted in the DASH diet being ranked as US News and World Report's number one diet every year between 2010 and 2017, and tied with the Mediterranean diet in 2018 before falling to second place in 2019.
Bibliography
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"U.S. News Reveals Best Diets Rankings for 2019." U.S. News & World Report, 2 Jan. 2019, www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2019-01-02/us-news-reveals-best-diets-rankings-for-2019
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