Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and has been shown to lower cholesterol, saturated fats, and blood pressure. The dietary intervention alone could decrease systolic blood pressure by about 6 to 11 mm Hg, the most important feature about the DASH diet is that it requires a lifestyle change and adopt a healthy way to eat.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of the force that the heart uses to pump blood around your body.
Why is healthy blood pressure important?
The high force of blood flow can damage your blood vessels, making them weak, stiff, or narrower. Hypertension can harm several important organs, including your heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes.
What are conditions that increase the risk for high blood pressure?
1. unhealthy lifestyle habits
2. Age
3. Smoking
4. drinking too much alcohol
5. Obesity
6. not exercising enough.
7. family history of high blood pressure.
What does DASH diet include?
It provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. It’s high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods but low in saturated fat and added sugar, and the inclusion of micronutrients in the menu, it also advocates the reduction of sodium in the diet to about 1500 mg/day.
DASH eating plan
Following is a closer look at DASH recommendations.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in the diet are mainly composed of cellulose and starches. The human body cannot digest cellulose, it is mainly present in plant fiber. Healthy starches or “carbs” must be included in the diet, not just for the energy supply but also for the protective micronutrients.
· Green leafy vegetables: kale, broccoli, spinach, mustards
· Whole grains: cracked wheat, oats
· Low glycemic index fruits
· Legumes and beans
Fats are classified as good fats and bad fats.
Good fats prevent inflammation, provide essential fatty acids, and promote overall health. When consumed in moderation, these fats have been shown to increase HDL and lower small dense LDL particles. Some of the sources of good fats also included in DASH include:
Olive oil, Avocados, Nuts, Hempseeds, Flax seeds, Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Bad fats, which include margarine, vegetable shortenings, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, cause an increase in small LDL particles, which promote atherogenesis.
Proteins
§ DASH recommends more servings of plant proteins like legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds.
§ Animal protein in the diet should mainly compose of lean meats, low-fat dairy, eggs, and fish.
§ Processed and cured meats are not recommended as they have been shown to cause hypertension and contain carcinogens.
Micronutrients
Potassium
Some of the foods rich in potassium include bananas, oranges, and spinach.
Calcium
Calcium is rich in dairy products and green leafy vegetables.
Magnesium
Magnesium is present in a variety of whole grains, leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Potential Health Benefits
§ Lowers diabetes risk
DASH diet helps lower blood glucose levels, triglycerides, LDL-C, and insulin resistance.
Dash diet is an essential strategy for lowering blood pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. The American Diabetic Association recommends that patients with diabetes should limit saturated fat to < 7% total daily calories, reduce trans-fat intake, reduce cholesterol to < 200 mg/day, and limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
§ weight management
The DASH diet cuts out a lot of high-fat, sugary foods, automatically reduce their calorie intake and losing weight.
§ Decreases heart disease risk
It is a preferred diet in patients with heart failure due to its emphasis on reducing dietary sodium and encouraging the intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
§ Decreases cancer risk
DASH diet has also shown a reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer and breast cancer.
References
1. Hima J. Challa , Muhammad Atif Ameer , Kalyan R. Uppaluri . 2023, January 23. DASH Diet To Stop Hypertension. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482514/
2. 2016, January. Blood Pressure Matters. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/01/blood-pressure-matters#:~:text=High%20blood%20pressure%20can%20make,kidneys%2C%20brain%2C%20and%20eyes.
3. 2021, December 29. DASH Eating Plan .https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan#:~:text=Eat%20this%3A%20vegetables%2C%20fruits%2C,beverages%2C%20sweets%2C%20sodium%20intake
Written by: Eng. Farah Kayed Almaareef.
Bachelor’s degree in food science & Technology, University of Jordan
Comments