Many people are not aware of the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

In recent DASH studies, adding fruits, vegetables and dairy products lowered blood pressure readings – even when the sodium was as high as 3000 mg per day! Every millimeter the blood pressure falls reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes for people with high blood pressure. So believe it, small changes will get you big results. Your everyday decisions matter.

The DASH “diet” is based on an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and low-fat or non-fat dairy.  The eating plan follows heart healthy guidelines to limit saturated fat and cholesterol. It focuses on increasing intake of foods rich in nutrients that are expected to lower blood pressure, mainly minerals (like potassium, calcium, and magnesium), protein, and fiber.

The DASH Nutrition Numbers

• Total fat 27% of calories
• Saturated fat 6% of calories
• Protein 18% of calories
• Carbohydrate 55% of calories
• Sodium 1500-2,300 mg
• Potassium 4,700 mg
• Calcium 1,250 mg
• Magnesium 500 mg
• Cholesterol 150 mg
• Fiber 30 g

Before you get out your calculators or press the panic button, follow these simple tips to get started:

• Record what you eat on paper or use an online program
• Make half your plate veggies with lunch and dinner
• Eat a piece of fruit with breakfast and lunch
• Eat a variety of foods, animal- and vegetable-based proteins
• Don’t eat between meals, unless you feel hungry; Try to go for a high-protein, low-fat foods like low-fat cottage cheese with red pepper strips
• Cut way back on eating meals you didn’t make unless you know the sodium content
• Limit full-fat cheese and fatty meats (sources of saturated fat)

If you want some more help, a dietitian can evaluate your eating habits and make recommendations in line with DASH. You should also search the Internet for DASH-friendly recipes.

The DASH eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in just two weeks. Best response came in people whose blood pressure was only moderately high, including those with pre-hypertension. For people with more severe hypertension, who may not be able to eliminate medication, the DASH diet can help improve response to medication.

If you know someone who would benefit from this information on preventing heart disease, please share it. This article is part of a series on simple things everyone can do to keep their heart healthy and strong.

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DASH Your Way to a Healthier Heart

Researchers believe that these finding may explain why the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) helps lower blood pressure. The DASH diet is low in sodium and includes lots of vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Beans are also a great source of vegetable protein.

The nearly 5,000 participants in the study were from all over the world, including residents of the U.S., U.K., China, and Japan. The researchers found that when the participants simply increased their glutamic acid intake by five percent as a percentage of their total protein, they lowered their blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure was lowered by an average of 1.5 to 3.0 points and diastolic blood pressure by 1.0 to 1.6 points.

While the reduction is modest, it doesn’t take much to make a big difference in your health.

“It is estimated that reducing a population’s average systolic blood pressure by two [points] could cut stroke death rates by six percent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by percent,” says researcher Jeremiah Stamler, MD, professor emeritus in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

According to the American Heart Association, that six percent reduction in stroke deaths would be equivalent to saving 8,600 lives. If there was a 4 percent reduction in heart disease deaths, that would save 17,800 lives a year.

(via: WebMD)

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Vegetable Protein Can Save Lives

A new study highlights an additional benefit of the DASH diet to lower risk of heart failure in women.

The study appearing in the May 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine examined the incidence of heart failure in healthy women aged 48 to 83, and found that women whose diet was the most similar to the DASH eating plan experienced a 37%-51% lower rate of heart failure.

But that’s not all.  DASH has previously been shown to prevent and treat high blood pressure (hypertension), and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in men and women. That’s a big deal considering that heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. Its potential for chronic disease prevention has earned DASH the backing of the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

What’s different about DASH? Not much. DASH includes common foods that are likely part of your diet already. DASH emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables, low-fat and fat-free dairy, in addition to whole grains, lean proteins, beans, nuts and seeds. The eating plan includes all food groups and is naturally low in sodium, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. The DASH diet is also low in calories and may lead to gradual loss of excess weight. 

Do you DASH?
Your eating style might already be on track with DASH. Take the Rate Your Plate quiz to find out, and get simple tips to get started. As with any lifestyle change, it is important to take DASH one step at a time. Start with one small change like switching to low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt, or trade in your white sandwich bread for fiber-rich 100% whole wheat bread.

You can make small, healthy changes one at a time. This summer swap the salty, fat-filled chips for crunchy sweet pepper slices dunked in cool, creamy tzatziki yogurt dip. Now that’s a delicious way to get started with DASH.

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How The DASH Diet Can Help You