Complete guide to the DASH diet

The DASH diet, comes from the acronym in English which means Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, it was created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the United States with the purpose of reducing the population’s blood pressure.

In the beginning, this diet aimed to reduce the blood pressure of hypertensive patients, however, after a series of studies on its effectiveness, today it is considered a guideline diet , being used to improve several other health problems, such as risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and even neurodegenerative diseases.

In general, the diet reduces the amounts of sodium, saturated fat, refined and industrialized sugar in the diet.

Continue reading, in this article we explain all the characteristics of the DASH diet and at the end we put a menu suggestion for you.

What is the DASH diet?

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (in Portuguese, dietary approaches against hypertension), or DASH, is a recommended diet for people who want to prevent or treat hypertension.

It focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats such as chicken and fish. Reduces consumption of red meat, salt, sugars and fat.

It was created after researchers noticed that the disease was much less common in people who followed a plant-based diet, such as vegans and vegetarians ( 5 , 6 ).

Scientists believe that one of the main reasons why people with high blood pressure can benefit from this diet is because it reduces salt intake.

The normal DASH diet program does not stimulate more than 1 teaspoon (2,300 mg) of sodium per day, which is in line with most national guidelines.

The low salt version does not recommend more than 3/4 teaspoon (1,500 mg) of sodium per day.

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Benefits of the DASH diet

In addition to lowering blood pressure, the DASH diet offers a number of potential benefits, including weight loss and reduced risk of cancer.

Reduces blood pressure

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

• Systolic pressure: The pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats.
• Diastolic pressure: The pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats, when the heart is at rest.

The normal number for adults is a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg. It is written with the first above the second, like this: 120/80.

People who demonstrate 140/90 value are considered hypertensive.

Interestingly, the DASH diet lowers blood pressure in healthy people with high blood pressure.

In studies, people who followed her still had lower blood pressure, even if they did not lose weight or restrict their salt intake ( 7 , 8 ).

However, when sodium intake was restricted, the DASH diet further reduced blood pressure.

In fact, the greatest reductions in blood pressure were observed in those who consumed the lowest salt intake ( 9 ).

These results from the low salt DASH diet were more impressive in people who already had high blood pressure, reducing systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg ( 5 ).

In people with normal blood pressure, it reduced systolic blood pressure by 4 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 mmHg ( 5 ).

This information is in line with other studies that reveal that restricting salt intake can reduce blood pressure – especially in those who have high blood pressure ( 10 ).

However, it must be kept in mind that a decrease in blood pressure does not always translate into a decrease in the risk of heart disease ( 11 ).

Assists weight loss

You will probably experience lower blood pressure on the DASH diet, whether or not you are losing weight.

However, if you already have high blood pressure, it is likely that you have been advised to lose weight.

This is because the more you weigh, the higher your blood pressure is likely to be ( 12 , 13 , 14 ).

In addition, weight loss has been shown to reduce these numbers ( 15 , 16 ).

Some studies suggest that people can lose weight following this diet ( 17 , 18 , 19 ).

However, those who lost weight in this way have a controlled calorie deficit – meaning that they consumed less calories than they used up.

Since the diet cuts out many foods high in fat and sugar, people may find that they automatically reduce calorie intake and lose weight.

Other people may have to consciously restrict their intake ( 20 ).

Anyway, if you want to lose weight with the DASH diet, you still need to go on a calorie-reduced diet.

Other potential benefits

The DASH diet can also affect other areas of health:

• Decreases the risk of cancer: A recent review indicated that people who followed the DASH diet were at lower risk of contracting some types of cancer, including colorectal and breast cancer ( 21 ).
• Reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome: Some studies have observed that the diet reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81% ( 22 , 23 ).
• Decreases the risk of diabetes: The diet has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies show that they can also improve insulin resistance ( 24 , 25 ).
• Decreases the risk of heart disease: In a 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 ( 26 ).

Many of these protective effects are attributed to the high content of fruits and vegetables in the diet. In general, eating these items can help reduce the risk of disease ( 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ).

What to eat on the DASH diet?

The DASH diet does not list specific foods to eat. Instead, it recommends specific portions of different food groups.

That number of servings depends on how many calories you consume. Below is an example of food servings based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Whole grains

• Recommended from 6 to 8 servings per day

Examples include whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal.

Vegetables

• Recommended from 4 to 5 servings per day

Examples of vegetables that you can eat include pumpkin, tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes.

Fruit

• Recommended from 4 to 5 servings per day

Examples include apples, pears, peaches, pineapple and mango.

Dairy products

• Recommended for 2 to 3 servings per day

Dairy products in the DASH diet should be low in fat. Examples include skim milk , low-fat cheese and yogurt.

Lean chicken, beef and fish

• Recommended for 6 or less servings per day

Choose lean cuts of meat and try to eat a portion of red meat only occasionally – no more than once or twice a week.

Nuts, seeds and legumes

• Recommended from 4 to 5 servings per week

These include almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseed , beans, lentils and peas.

Fats and oils

• Recommended for 2 to 3 servings per day

The DASH diet recommends vegetable oils. These include butter and oils like canola, corn, olive oil or safflower.

Sweets

• Recommended 5 or less servings per week

Sugars are kept to a minimum in the DASH diet, so limit your intake of sweets and soft drinks. The diet also restricts unrefined sugars and alternative sources, such as agave nectar.

Suggested weekly menu for DASH diet

Here is an example of a week-long meal plan – based on 2,000 calories per day – for the regular DASH diet:

Monday Menu

Tuesday Menu

Wednesday Menu

Thursday Menu

Friday Menu

Saturday Menu

Sunday Menu

How to adapt your diet

Since there are no foods defined in the DASH diet, you can adapt your current diet to her guidelines by doing the following:

• Eat more vegetables and fruits.
• Swap refined grains for whole grains.
• Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
• Choose sources of lean protein such as fish, chicken and beans.
• Cook with vegetable oils.
• Limit your intake of foods high in sugars, such as soft drinks and sweets.
• Limit your intake of foods high in saturated fats, such as fatty meats, whole dairy products, and oils, such as coconut .
• Out of the measured portions of fresh fruit juice, this diet recommends that you consume low-calorie drinks, such as water, tea and coffee.