Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, commonly abbreviated as the DASH diet, is a diet method promoted by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This diet offers methods to lower or control high blood pressure (hypertension) by managing healthy menus.
The main point of this diet is to increase healthy food intake while decreasing the consumption of food that is rich in cholesterol, bad fat, salt, sugar, and red meat. Do you want to learn how to do a DASH diet? Let’s read the article below.
What Is a DASH Diet?
The DASH diet is a method which implements healthy eating habits that emphasizes the consumption of low-sodium foods as well as those rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium to help lower blood pressure.
Research has also proven that the DASH diet is an effective way to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which is associated with a reduced risk of several types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, heart failure, kidney stones, and diabetes. Additionally, it helps slow the progression of kidney disease and is now linked to reducing the risk of depression.
When following the DASH diet, you are advised to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, and nuts. Furthermore, you should avoid foods high in saturated fats, such as fatty meats, limit high-sugar foods, and reduce the consumption of canned and fast foods.
Various Benefits of DASH Diet for Health
Beyond lowering blood pressure, the DASH diet also offers various other long-term health benefits for the body. The benefits of the DASH diet include the following.
1. Helps Weight Loss
One of the benefits of the DASH diet is helping with weight loss, as excess weight is a known contributing factor to hypertension. In fact, individuals who undergo this diet tend to lose weight naturally due to the focus on healthy eating patterns.
However, if your specific goal is weight loss, it is recommended to balance the diet with regular daily exercise and a controlled calorie intake.
2. Lowers the risk of cancer
The implementation of a healthy diet brings many benefits, including reducing the risk of cancer. People who follow the DASH diet may have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer or breast cancer.
3. Reduces the Risks of Metabolic Syndrome
Another purpose of the DASH diet is to lower the risk of Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group disease that makes someone exposed to higher risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes type 2.
The syndrome also includes certain conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (high LDL, low HDL, and high triglyceride levels). By following a DASH diet, you can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome by 80 percent.
4. Lowers the Blood Pressure
It is important to note that normal blood pressure for adults is 120/80 mmHg. The number 120 represents systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats. Meanwhile, the number 80 represents diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is at rest.
If your blood pressure reaches 140/90 mmHg, the condition is classified as hypertension, and it is highly recommended that you undergo the DASH diet. The DASH diet will be even more effective if you also follow a low-sodium diet.
This method is believed to be capable of lowering systolic blood pressure by up to 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 5 mmHg.
5. Boosts Bone Health
The DASH diet can reduce bone turnover and maintain bone health. Additionally, the consumption of fruits and vegetables has a positive correlation with bone mineral density (BMD) and a negative correlation with bone loss. This is likely related to the effects of potassium content, which inhibits the excretion of calcium from the body.
High consumption of fruits and vegetables is closely linked to potassium intake. In a study of elderly women with the highest urinary potassium excretion, BMD was found to be at its peak in patients with an increased intake of fruits and vegetables.
How to Do Dash Diet and Its Menu
Following the DASH diet is not actually difficult because you are still allowed to consume meat, rice, and milk. However, you need to limit your portions daily.
To give you an idea, the DASH diet portion guidelines include 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of cereal, 100 grams of rice or pasta, 3 ounces of cooked meat, approximately 150 grams of fruits and vegetables, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 3 ounces of tofu, and 8 ounces of milk.
The following are the recommended portions for each type of food when undergoing the DASH diet:
Grains and Wheat: 6-8 Portion Per Day
One portion of grains is calculated as one slice of whole-wheat bread, which is equivalent to approximately 65 grams of rice or pasta. Choose whole-grain options to fulfill your body's carbohydrate needs. For example, it is better to choose brown rice over white rice. Similarly, when it comes to bread, opt for whole-wheat bread instead of regular white bread.
Fruits: 4-5 Portion Per Day
Fruits are rich in fiber, calcium, and magnesium. Most fruit is low in fat thus they are beneficial for hypertension patients except for coconut that has a high level of fat. One portion of fruit is equivalent to 65 grams of sliced fruit.
Vegetables: 4-5 Portion Per Day
One portion of vegetables equals 130 grams of raw green vegetables or approximately 65 grams of cooked vegetables. The DASH diet menu shows that you can consume many kinds of vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens. Make vegetables the main course and not just a side dish.
The vegetables can be cooked into various dishes to help you increase your vegetable intake while lowering your consumption of red meat.
Fish, Chicken, Lean Meat: Maximum 2 Portion Per Day
One portion of fish and lean meat is around 85 grams. Here are some tips: if you want to consume chicken or duck, avoid eating the skin. If you want to eat beef, choose lean cuts. Alternatively, you can consume fish because it contains healthy fats that are beneficial to your body.
Milk and Dairy Products: 2 - 3 Portion Per Day
Dairy products that fit into the DASH Diet are yogurt and cheese. These products are rich in calcium, protein and vitamin D which benefit our body. However, you have to choose low-fat or completely fat-free dairy products.
Nuts and Seeds: 4 - 5 portion Per Week
Nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, red beans, almonds, and green beans, are alternative protein sources that contain magnesium, calcium, and protein. These foods are also rich in fiber and phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. One portion of cooked nuts is approximately 65 grams.
Fat and Oil: 2-3 Portion Per Day
If you consume proper amounts of fat, it will help the body to absorb vitamins and minerals and boost immunity.
However, overconsumption of fat will lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. Therefore, you need to manage your fat consumption. One portion of fat equals one teaspoon of margarine or one teaspoon of mayonnaise.
These are the important things to know regarding what the DASH diet is. When first starting this diet, it may feel challenging because you have to limit your salt intake. Therefore, to help your palate adjust, you do not need to eliminate it all at once; instead, reduce the amount little by little.
The DASH diet can indeed help lower blood pressure and various other disease risks. However, it is best if you also exercise regularly and increase your water intake to maximize the diet's results.
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