What is DASH?

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is study of eating plans and recommendations to manage blood pressure

There have been two DASH studies DASH-I, and DASH-II.

DASH-I

The DASH-I focused on diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products to reduce blood pressure. The diet contains large amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. For a typical 2,000 calorie per diet, it breaks down as follows:
4,700 milligrams of potassium
500 milligrams of magnesium
1,240 milligrams of calcium
The diet is also low in fats, and high in fiber. The diet does not attempt to isolate the nutrients responsible to lower the blood pressure. It is assumed that Potassium is main nutrient.

DASH-II

DASH-II study involved the DASH-I dietary plan with three different levels of salt intake. The results were most effective at the lowest level of salt intake. In general, low salt is very important for Diabetics, Elderly, Black American, Overweight, and persons on Anti-Hypertensive Drugs. People with hypertension should strive for less than 1 teaspoon of total salt per day.

People on DASH eating plan often lower their blood pressure from 7 to 12 mmHg. The DASH eating plan is appropriate for almost everyone. It has been incorporated into the American Heart Association guidelines. More information about this eating plan, including menus and recipes can be found at the National Institute of Health's website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash%20/new_dash.pdf

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