The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recommended for people who want to prevent or treat high blood pressure and reduce their chance of developing heart disease. It focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats.
Share on PinterestHigh blood pressure (hypertension) is a serious health concern linked to a higher chance of conditions such as heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke
It affects nearly half of the world’s population. The older you are, the higher your chance of developing it. It develops in more than 60% of people over age 60.
As diet is thought to play a major role in the development of high blood pressure, scientists and policymakers have engineered specific dietary strategies to help reduce it. This includes the DASH diet.
This article examines the DASH diet, which was designed to combat high blood pressure and reduce people’s chance of heart disease.
What Is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet was created after researchers noticed that high blood pressure was much less common in people who followed a plant-based diet, such as vegans and vegetarians.
That’s why the DASH diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables while containing lean protein sources like chicken, fish, and beans. The diet is low in red meat, salt, added sugars, and fat.
Scientists believe that one of the main reasons people with high blood pressure can benefit from this diet is because it reduces salt intake to no more than 3/4 teaspoon (tsp) or 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day.
Potential benefits of the DASH diet
Beyond reducing blood pressure, the DASH diet offers a number of potential benefits:
- Blood pressure: Numerous studies have found the DASH diet to be effective at reducing blood pressure.
- Weight loss: A 2020 study found that following DASH containing at least 126 grams (g) of lean protein helped older adults over 65 with obesity reduce body fat. A 2023 study also suggests DASH can be helpful in lowering belly fat.
- Cancer risk: A 2019 review found that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of cancer, specifically breast, hepatic, endometrial, and lung cancer. Similar results were found in a study looking at colorectal cancer and DASH.
- Metabolic syndrome risk: Research suggests that the DASH diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by nearly 50%. Other research confirms there may be an inverse relationship between following DASH and the chance of developing metabolic syndrome.
- Diabetes: The diet has been linked to a lower chance of diabetes. Research also demonstrates that it may improve insulin resistance as well.
- Heart disease: A 2019 review found that following DASH may be linked to a lower chance of developing heart disease. Specifically, research suggests this diet may help lower various risk factors for heart disease, such as blood cholesterol, sugar, and fats.
Many of these protective effects are attributed to the diet’s high fruit and vegetable content. In general, eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce the chance of developing disease.
What do you eat in the DASH diet?
The DASH diet doesn’t list specific foods to eat. Instead, it recommends specific servings of different food groups.
You can adapt your current diet to the DASH 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 lean protein sources like fish, poultry, and beans.
- Cook with vegetable oils.
- Limit your intake of foods high in added sugars, like soda and candy.
- Limit your intake of foods high in saturated fats like fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and oils like coconut and palm oil.
The number of servings you can eat depends on how many calories you consume. Below is an example of food portions based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Whole grains: 6–8 servings per day
Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat or whole-grain bread, whole-grain breakfast cereals, brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, and oatmeal.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 slice of whole-grain bread
- 1 ounce (oz) or 28 g of dry, whole-grain cereal
- 1/2 cup (95 g) of cooked rice, pasta or cereal
Vegetables: 4–5 servings per day
All vegetables are allowed on the DASH diet.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 cup (about 30 g) of raw, leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale
- 1/2 cup (about 45 g) of sliced vegetables — raw or cooked — like broccoli, carrots, squash or tomatoes
Fruits: 4–5 servings per day
If you’re following the DASH approach, you’ll be eating a lot of fruit. Examples of fruits you can eat include apples, pears, peaches, berries, and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 medium apple
- 1/4 cup (50 g) of dried apricots
- 1/2 cup (30 g) of fresh, frozen or canned peaches
Dairy products: 2–3 servings per day
Dairy products on the DASH diet should be low in fat. Examples include skim milk, low-fat cheese, and yogurt.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 cup (240 ml) of low fat milk
- 1 cup (285 g) of low fat yogurt
- 1.5 oz (45 g) of low fat cheese
Lean chicken, meat, and fish: 6 or fewer servings per day
Choose lean cuts of meat and try to eat a serving of red meat only occasionally — no more than once or twice a week.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 oz (28 g) of cooked meat, chicken or fish
- 1 egg
Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes: 4–5 Servings per Week
These include almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, kidney beans, lentils, and split peas.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1/3 cup (50 g) of nuts
- 2 tbsp (40 g) of nut butter
- 2 tbsp (16 g) of seeds
- 1/2 cup (40 g) of cooked legumes
Fats and Oils: 2–3 Servings per Day
The DASH diet recommends vegetable oils over other oils. These include margarine and oils like canola, corn, olive, or safflower. It also recommends low fat mayonnaise and light salad dressing.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 tsp (4.5 g) of soft margarine
- 1 tsp (5 milliliters (ml)) of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp (15 g) of mayonnaise
- 2 tsp (30 ml) of salad dressing
Candy and Added Sugars: 5 or Fewer Servings per Week
Added sugars are kept to a minimum on the DASH diet, so limit your intake of candy, soda, and table sugar. The DASH diet also restricts unrefined sugars and alternative sugar sources, like agave nectar.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 tablespoon (tbsp) (12.5 g) of sugar
- 1 tbsp (20 g) of jelly or jam
- 1 cup (240 ml) of lemonade
Does it work for everyone?
While studies on the DASH diet determined that the greatest reductions in blood pressure occurred in those with the lowest salt intake, the benefits of salt restriction on health and lifespan are not clear-cut.
For people with high blood pressure, older adults, or non-white adults, reducing salt intake appears to significantly affect blood pressure. However, in people with lower blood pressure, white adults, or younger adults, the effects of reducing salt intake seem to be much smaller.
The theory that some people are more salt sensitive — meaning that salt exerts a greater influence on their blood pressure — could partly explain this.
Restricting salt too much is not good for you
Eating too little salt has also been linked to health problems, such as an increased risk of heart disease, insulin resistance, and low blood sodium levels (hyponatremia).
The DASH diet recommends that people eat no more than 3/4 tsp (1,500 mg) of sodium per day.
One 2020 suggests that it’s unclear whether there are any benefits to reducing salt intake this low, and that the chance of heart disease begins to rise only after consuming more than 5,000 mg of sodium daily.
That said, this target can be achieved easily by reducing the amount of highly processed food in your diet and eating mostly whole foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are eggs ok to eat on a DASH diet?
Yes, eggs are ok to eat on a DASH diet. Here is an example of a meal you might eat for breakfast that includes eggs:
2 boiled eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon with 1/2 cup (38 g) of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup (80 g) of baked beans, and 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Are potatoes ok to eat on a DASH diet?
Yes, you can include potatoes in a DASH diet. For example, you might plan to eat one of the following:
Is peanut butter ok to eat on the DASH diet?
Peanut butter is a good source of protein and can be included in the DASH diet.
For example, for breakfast, you might make 2 slices of whole-wheat toast with 2 tbsp (40 g) of peanut butter, 1 medium banana, 2 tbsp (16 g) of mixed seeds, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh orange juice.
Bottom Line
The DASH diet may be an easy and effective way to reduce blood pressure.
However, keep in mind that cutting daily salt intake to 3/4 tsp (1,500 mg) or less has not been linked to any hard health benefits — such as a reduced risk of heart disease — despite the fact that it can lower blood pressure.
Moreover, research shows that following general balanced eating guidelines may be as efficient in lowering heart disease risk as following the DASH diet.
For this reason, healthy individuals may have little reason to follow this diet. Nevertheless, if you have high blood pressure or think you may be sensitive to salt, DASH may be a good choice for you.