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?

A major study reviewed the diets of over 36,000 women for 7 years and they discovered an apparent correlation between a diet designed to lower blood pressure and heart failure.
The women in the study were between 48 and 83 years old and at the beginning of the study did not have a history of heart failure, diabetes mellitus or myocardial infarction. Using food-frequency questionnaires, the researchers compared participant’s diets to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet guidelines. After adjusting for variables such as age and socioeconomic background, they …