What Is the DASH Diet?

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet has repeatedly been named as a top diet for heart health and weight loss by US News & World Report, and it's easy to see why. Unlike fad diets that require tight calorie or food-group limitations with no scientific evidence to back them up, the DASH diet entails making small, reasonable dietary modifications that are based on sound nutritional guidance.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States (CDC). According to the CDC, high blood pressure (hypertension) is a major contributor to heart disease, affecting one in every three American adults. However, heart disease isn't only an American issue: the American Heart Association reports that it is the top cause of death worldwide.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, promotes the DASH diet as a way to help persons with high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings of more than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and more than 80 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure are considered high by the American Heart Association.
The DASH diet's food options closely resemble the MyPlate eating plan advised by the United States Department of Agriculture, with a concentration on whole foods including fruit and vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean meats, fish, and poultry. Meanwhile, the strategy calls for reducing or eliminating processed meals such as sugary drinks and packaged snacks, as well as limiting red meat, which has been related to poorer heart health and heart failure in the past, according to a research.
The DASH diet is designed to meet low-sodium (salt) needs, which can help people avoid hypertension. This makes it an excellent diet for persons with high blood pressure or a personal or family history of heart disease, as well as those who may be at risk for type 2 diabetes or who are presently managing the disease.