DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

DASH diet beats all

in the United States, the plan DASH is considered even better than the Mediterranean diet, according to articles published in general public journals by teams of dietitians. Originally, this plan is intended to combat hypertension - the acronym DASH means Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or dietary approaches to stop hypertension.

Thus, the method is richer than a simple limitation of calories. A special attention is for example devoted to the intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. And the sodium - ordinary salt - is very limited in this approach since a diet too high in salt increases the risk of hypertension.

What is the DASH plan?

Per day:

6 To 8 servings of cereals, preferably supplemented (a portion = one slice of bread or a half cup of rice or cooked pasta).
4 Or 5 servings of vegetables (a portion = a half-cup of cooked or raw vegetables, or juice vegetable).
4 Or 5 servings of fruit (a portion = a fruit of medium size or a half-cup of cooked fruit or juice fruit).
2 Or 3 servings of milk and low fat dairy products or without fats (a portion = a cup of milk or yogurt).
180G of meat to the maximum.
2 Or 3 servings of fat (a portion = a teaspoon).

Other elements are to consume less than once a day:

Nuts and seeds and dried vegetables, 4 to 5 servings per week (a portion = 15g walnuts or a half-cup of dried cooked vegetables )
Sugar: 5 servings per week (a portion = a tablespoon of sugar, jam, honey etc. , or a glass of sweetened beverage)

The effectiveness of the DASH diet is it proven?

Two studies (1) have been carried out, each one is on more than 400 people. The first compared the results of the DASH, a regular power supply and a power supply simply richer in fruits and vegetables.

The DASH plan is much more effective. Its effects are measured very quickly, at the end of two weeks only. The second study has shown that when the DASH plan is combined with a decrease  in sodium, it is even more effective in reducing hypertension.

The plan is also interesting for people who are not suffering from hypertension, but want simply to lose weight. In effect, it reduces the inputs in calories, but remains very balanced: all the nutrients are there and no excessive restriction is requested.