Contemporary Diets: Which One Is Right for You — The DASH Diet

Are you confused about the differences and potential benefits between popular diets? Wondering which one might be best for you?

This is the third in a five-part blog series navigating contemporary diets, their philosophy, the science supporting each one, and the potential drawbacks. In the first and second posts, I highlighted Paleo and Veganism. This post’s focus is the DASH Diet and I’ll be covering keto and Mediterranean diets in last two blog posts.

Follow along and see which one is right for you!

#3: The DASH Diet

DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (a.k.a. high blood pressure). It may not be a dietary approach that you’re familiar with, but it took third place in the US World & News Report’s 2024 Ranking of Best Diets. It was noted for its ease in implementing and its health benefits.

It’s estimated that nearly half of adult Americans have high blood pressure – whether they know it or not – and even with medication, there’s a good portion of people whose blood pressure isn’t under control.

High blood pressure increases the risk of heart and kidney diseases. It increases one’s risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. It can also lead to kidney disease and vision loss due to blood vessel damage of the retina. High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it usually develops gradually and has no noticeable symptoms.

The DASH diet is one of inclusion whereas the paleo and vegan diets in the first two posts of this series both exclude whole categories of foods. The core of the DASH diet is whole foods with particular emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Portion size and reduced sodium are key components of the diet. There’s emphasis as well on low fat dairy, lean meats, poultry and fish, and nuts, seeds and legumes. Sweets are minimal and daily activity is encouraged.

Strengths

It’s common nutritional advice to recommend a low sodium diet for those diagnosed with hypertension. And it is true that, on average, Americans consume twice the amount of sodium that is recommended. It’s sneaking into our diets in all that processed food. Anything canned, frozen or packaged tends to have added salt in order to increase its palatability. (Hint: Check the Nutrition Facts Label of your peanut butter for its sodium content.) Include takeout and restaurant food as high in sodium as well. (Chefs are taught to season each layer of the dish, resulting in multiple layers of added salt.) However it’s equally important to have adequate potassium and magnesium in our diets, and we tend to get too little of these critical minerals.

The DASH diet’s emphasis on whole foods recommends multiple servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains per day – four to five servings of each per day! Fruits and vegetables are notably high in potassium and magnesium, which have a positive effect on blood pressure. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are also good sources of dietary fiber, which also has a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

Clinical studies have found the DASH diet to:

• Decrease systolic BP

• Decrease diastolic BP

• Decrease LDL cholesterol

All of these reduce one’s risk of heart disease, stroke and even diabetes.

Potential Drawbacks

There are almost no nutritional disadvantages to a diet focused on whole foods. However for those also struggling with blood sugar balance – prediabetics and diabetics – the amount of fruit and whole grains recommended on the DASH diet would likely exceed what could be nutritionally beneficial without causing spikes in blood sugar.

And variety is important as different foods contribute different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. A diet limiting vegetable intake to potatoes, carrots and peas will be lacking in key nutrients. To reap the health benefits of the DASH diet, it takes a long-term sustained effort and commitment.

If you’ve been struggling with high blood pressure and wondering if you could benefit from nutritional consultation, reach out to me. I offer a free 30-minute nutritional consultation for new clients. You can schedule your free consultation here.