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DASH Eating Plan

The DASH eating plan is a heart-healthy diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils. Multiple studies have shown that following the DASH diet lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. When combined with reducing sodium intake, the DASH diet provides the greatest benefits for heart health.

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Saurabh Agrawal
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116 views4 pages

DASH Eating Plan

The DASH eating plan is a heart-healthy diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils. Multiple studies have shown that following the DASH diet lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. When combined with reducing sodium intake, the DASH diet provides the greatest benefits for heart health.

Uploaded by

Saurabh Agrawal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Home / Health Topics / DASH Eating Plan

DASH Eating Plan


Also known as Dash diet

Description of the DASH Eating Plan

DASH is a exible 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:

Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains


Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, sh, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
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
Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets.

Based on these recommendations, the following table shows examples of daily and weekly
servings that meet DASH eating plan targets for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

Daily and Weekly DASH Eating Plan Goals for a 2,000-Calorie-a-Day Diet

Food Group Daily Servings

Grains 6–8

Meats, poultry, and sh 6 or less

Vegetables 4–5

Fruit 4–5

Low-fat or fat-free dairy products 2–3


Fats and oils 2–3

Sodium 2,300 mg*

  Weekly Servings

Nuts, seeds, dry beans, and peas 4–5

Sweets 5 or less

*1,500 milligrams (mg) sodium lowers blood pressure even further than 2,300 mg sodium daily.

When following the DASH eating plan, it is important to choose foods that are:

Low in saturated and trans fats


Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, ber, and protein
Lower in sodium

Health Bene ts of the DASH Eating Plan

Four NHLBI-funded studies tested the health bene ts of the DASH diet by comparing the DASH
diet with the typical American diet or by comparing different variations of the DASH diet.
Another NHLBI-funded study, the PREMIER clinical trial, measured the health bene ts of
following the DASH diet and increasing physical activity. The results of these studies showed that
the DASH diet lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in the blood and shaped the NHLBI’s
DASH eating plan recommendations, which includes following a DASH diet with reduced sodium
intake.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Trial

This study included 459 adults, some with and some without con rmed high blood pressure. The
study compared three diets, each containing 3,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day:

Typical American diet


Typical American diet plus more fruits and vegetables
DASH diet

The study provided all foods and beverages to participants for eight weeks. None of the diets
were vegetarian or used specialty foods. After two weeks, participants who added fruits and
vegetables to a typical American diet or those on the DASH diet had lower blood pressure than
those who followed a typical American diet alone. However, the participants on the DASH diet
had the greatest effect of lowering their high blood pressure.

Follow-up reports from the DASH trial showed that in addition to improving blood pressure, the
DASH diet also lowered LDL cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and high blood levels of LDL
cholesterol are two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

DASH Diet, Sodium Intake, and Blood Pressure (DASH-Sodium) Trial

This study included 412 adults who followed either a typical American diet or the DASH diet. The
study provided all foods and beverages to participants for one month. Their daily sodium intake
levels were either high, at 3,300 mg, which is similar to the current average U.S. daily sodium
intake of about 3,600 mg; medium at 2,300 mg; or low at 1,500 mg.

The DASH-Sodium study made several ndings:

Reducing daily sodium lowered blood pressure for participants on either diet. However, at all
three daily sodium levels, the DASH diet lowered blood pressure more than the typical
American diet at all three daily sodium levels.
Blood pressure decreased with each reduction of sodium.
Reducing sodium intake and following the DASH diet is more bene cial for lowering blood
pressure than following the DASH diet alone or reducing sodium alone.

A follow-up report found that combining the DASH diet with sodium reduction bene ted people
who had higher than normal blood pressure readings. The report also found that people who
started out with the highest blood pressure readings experienced the greatest bene ts.

Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart)

This study included 164 adults who had systolic blood pressure readings of 120 to 159
millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The study compared the following three diets, each containing
2,300 mg of sodium per day:

DASH diet alone


DASH diet substituting 10 percent of total daily carbohydrates with protein
DASH diet substituting 10 percent of total daily carbohydrates with unsaturated fat

The study provided all foods and beverages to participants for six weeks. During the study,
participants stayed the same weight.

OmniHeart found that either variation of the DASH diet—one substituting protein or one
substituting unsaturated fat for 10 percent of daily carbohydrates—reduced blood pressure and
improved lipid levels more than the original DASH diet.
Effect of Amount and Type of Dietary Carbohydrates on Risk for Cardiovascular
Heart Disease and Diabetes (OmniCarb) Trial

The OmniCarb trial included 163 adults who were overweight and who had systolic blood
pressure readings of 120 to 159 mm Hg. The study compared the following four DASH-type diets,
each containing 2,300 mg of sodium per day:

DASH diet high in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index


DASH diet high in carbohydrates with a low glycemic index
DASH diet low in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index
DASH diet low in carbohydrates with a low glycemic index

The study provided all foods and beverages to participants for ve weeks. During the study,
participants maintained a constant body weight.

OmniCarb found that diets with a low glycemic index did not improve blood pressure, blood
cholesterol, or insulin resistance compared to diets with a high glycemic index.

PREMIER clinical trial

The PREMIER trial included 810 participants who were assigned to one of three groups. Each
group participated in a different program to lower blood pressure, lose weight, and improve
health for six months:

An advice-only program that did not include counseling on behavior changes


An established treatment program that included counseling on behavior changes
And established treatment plan that included both counseling and use of the DASH diet

Unlike the other studies listed above, the PREMIER trial did not provide food and beverages to
participants.

PREMIER found that after six months, blood pressure levels declined in all three groups. The two
groups that received counseling and followed a treatment plan had more weight loss than the
advice-only group. However, participants who received counseling and followed the DASH diet
had the greatest reductions in their blood pressure. The study results showed that people can
lose weight and lower their blood pressure by following the DASH diet and increasing their
physical activity.

Look for

Living With for recommendations and tips for following the DASH eating plan to improve
your health.

Following the DASH Eating Plan

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