Since the late 1990′s, the DASH diet has been promoted as the ideal diet for lowering blood pressure. The diet itself, called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, calls for a reduction in red meats, sweets and artificial sugars, and emphasizes fruits and vegetables as well as a whole host of heart healthy foods. The full diet plan can be found at on the National Institutes of Health Website. But does this DASH diet work? What about simply reducing sodium intake?

In 2001 the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute completed a 14 week study comparing the effects of the DASH diet, lower sodium and the DASH diet plus lower sodium intake on a group of 412 adults from varying races both with and without hypertension. Weight was kept stable so as to not affect the results.

DASH Diet Alone

The DASH diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure by about 6 points systolic and 2 points diastolic for non-hypertensives compared to those eating the typical American diet. For those with high blood pressure, average drops reported are 7 mm Hg systolic and 3 mm Hg diastolic.

Eating Less Sodium

When changing from the average American diet of 3,300 milligrams a day of sodium to 1,500 milligrams, hypertensives have been shown to lower their systolic blood pressure by 8.3 mm Hg and 4.4 mm Hg diastolic. In those without hypertension the reductions were 5.4 mm Hg systolic and 2.8 mm Hg diastolic.

DASH Diet plus Eating Less Sodium

Combining the DASH diet with a daily sodium intake of less than 1,500 milligrams daily, has been shown to reduce blood pressure in those without hypertension by 7/4 mm Hg (systolic/diastolic) and for those with high blood pressure by 12/6 mm Hg.

Dr. Denise Simons-Morton a DASH co-author said, “Following the DASH diet and reducing the intake of dietary sodium are two non-drug approaches that work to control blood pressure,” according to the National Institutes of Health Press Release.

Sources:

“NHLBI Study Finds DASH Diet And Reduced Sodium Lowers Blood Pressure For All.” December 17, 2001. National Institutes of Health.  Retrieved September 16, 2008 from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/01-12-17.htm.