What Is the DASH Diet? A Guide to the Plan for Losing Weight
DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is an eating plan to lower or control high blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes foods that are lower in sodium as well as foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium — nutrients that help lower blood pressure.
The DASH diet features menus with plenty of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. It offers limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages.
The DASH Diet is mainly touted for its positive effects on blood pressure levels, but the science-backed plan may also lead to weight loss for some individuals due to its focus on eating whole, fresh foods. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet has been consistently ranked by US News & World Report as a top diet for heart health and weight loss, and it’s no surprise why.
Unlike fad diets that call for extreme calorie or food-group restrictions without scientific evidence that supports their efficacy, the DASH diet involves making manageable dietary changes that are flexible and rooted in proven nutritional advice.
This has made the eating plan popular among doctors, dietitians, and other health professionals in the United States, where heart disease remains the Number one killer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2) High blood pressure (hypertension) is a big contributing factor to heart disease and affects 1 in 3 American adults, per the CDC. (3) It’s not just an American problem, though: Heart disease is also the leading cause of death around the world, according to the American Heart Association. (4)
What Is the DASH Diet?
DASH stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." The diet was developed out of a study by the National Institutes of Health after researchers noticed that vegetarians tended to have lower rates of high blood pressure. Understanding that sodium intake affected blood pressure, study also believed that these levels may also be impacted by other nutrients in plant-based diets.
Enter the DASH diet. When individuals followed this eating plan, researchers saw dramatic reductions in blood pressure levels. Today, the eating plan is recommended for preventing and treating hypertension and heart disease—and it has been linked to decreased bone deterioration, improved insulin sensitivity, and possible risk reduction for some cancers.
What exactly is the DASH diet?
Yet it's not only effective for people trying to lower their blood pressure. The diet has been around for two decades, and studies have shown that it can lead to weight loss, protect heart health, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and certain cancers. For these reasons, it's promoted by the National Institutes of Health.
The plan is relatively simple. DASH diet recommends specific portions from a variety of food groups daily, depending on your daily calorie needs (which are determined by your age, sex, and activity level). For example, a 1600 calorie DASH diet includes 6 servings of grains daily; 3-4 servings of vegetables; 4 servings of fruit; and 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy. Also recommended are 3-4 ounces total per day of lean meat, poultry, or fish; 3-4 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes per week; and 2 servings of fats and oils daily.
DASH Diet puts limits on sugar, recommending 3 or fewer servings per week of sweets. It also curtails sodium intake to a maximum of 2,300 mg per day. The diet is intended to be part of a lifestyle that reduces alcohol consumption and emphasizes stress reduction, physical activity, not smoking, and getting plenty of sleep. In short, it’s not a fad diet. DASH is meant to be followed for the long haul.
Why Dash Diet can work for weight loss
Yet DASH Diet offers a number of positives. In addition to being very sensible, nutrient-rich, and effective, DASH is fairly straightforward and sustainable. Many books and cookbooks are available to help DASH dieters figure out how to transform the daily servings from all the different food groups into practical meals and snacks.
Bottom line: DASH is tried and true. If your goal is weight loss, DASH Diet won’t melt the pounds off quickly. But if you identify the proper calorie level and stick with it consistently, it can be a safe, effective, and sustainable way to shed pounds, and simultaneously improve your health.
Because DASH has been around for so long and is well accepted by health professionals, there are a lot of free resources online to access help. However, if you have trouble figuring out how to take the recommended daily and weekly DASH servings and turn them into menus, consult with a registered dietitian nutritionist. He or she can also personalize the plan for your needs by adjusting for food allergies or intolerances and offering tips for following the plan as a vegan or vegetarian.
Potential Benefits of The Dash Diet
Beyond reducing weight loss, the DASH diet offers a number of potential benefits, including reduced cancer risk and blood pressure,.
However, you shouldn’t expect DASH to help you shed weight on its own — as it was designed fundamentally to lower blood pressure. Weight loss may simply be an added perk.
The diet impacts your body in several ways.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force put on your blood vessels and organs as your blood passes through them. It's counted in two numbers:
Diastolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.
Systolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
Normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg. This is normally written with the systolic blood pressure above the diastolic pressure, like this: 120/80.
People with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 are considered to have high blood pressure.
Interestingly, the DASH diet demonstrably lowers blood pressure in both healthy people and those with high blood pressure.
People on the DASH diet still experienced lower blood pressure even if they didn't lose weight or restrict salt intake.
However, when sodium intake was restricted, the DASH diet lowered blood pressure even further. In fact, the greatest reductions in blood pressure were seen in people with the lowest salt consumption.
These low-salt DASH diet results were most impressive in people who already had high blood pressure, reducing systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg.
In people with normal blood pressure, it reduced systolic blood pressure by 4 mmHg and diastolic by 2 mmHg.
This is in line with other studies which reveal that restricting salt intake can reduce blood pressure — especially in those who have high blood pressure.
Keep in mind that a decrease in blood pressure does not always translate to a decreased risk of heart disease.
Weight Loss in The Dash Diet
You will likely experience lower blood pressure on the DASH diet whether or not you lose weight.
However, if you already have high blood pressure, chances are you have been advised to lose weight.
This is because the more you weigh, the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.
Llosing weight has been shown to lower blood pressure. People can lose weight on the DASH diet.
However, those who have lost weight on the DASH diet have been in a controlled calorie deficit — meaning they were told to eat fewer calories than they were expending.
Given that the DASH diet cuts out a lot of high-fat, sugary foods, people may find that they automatically reduce their calorie intake and lose weight. Other people may have to consciously restrict their intake.
Either way, if you want to lose weight on the DASH diet, you'll still need to go on a calorie-reduced diet.
Other Potential Health Benefits of The Dash Diet
DASH may also affect other areas of health. The diet:
Decreases cancer risk: A recent review indicated that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer.
Lowers metabolic syndrome risk: Some studies note that the DASH diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81%.
Lowers diabetes risk: The diet has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies demonstrate that it can improve insulin resistance as well.
Decreases heart disease risk: In one recent review in women, following a DASH-like diet was associated with a 20% lower risk of heart disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke.
Many of these protective effects are attributed to the diet’s high fruit and vegetable content. In general, eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce risk of disease.
The Potential Short- and Long-Term Effects of the DASH Diet
The DASH diet can help lower blood pressure at least in the short term, but longer studies will be needed to determine whether the DASH diet will translate to lower rates of heart disease for those who stick with it over the long term.
That said, for many, the DASH diet is the perfect one-two punch: a sensible diet for keeping blood pressure levels in check and for losing pounds or maintaining a healthy weight.
DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is an eating plan to lower or control high blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes foods that are lower in sodium as well as foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium — nutrients that help lower blood pressure.
The DASH diet features menus with plenty of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. It offers limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages.
The DASH Diet is mainly touted for its positive effects on blood pressure levels, but the science-backed plan may also lead to weight loss for some individuals due to its focus on eating whole, fresh foods. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet has been consistently ranked by US News & World Report as a top diet for heart health and weight loss, and it’s no surprise why.
Unlike fad diets that call for extreme calorie or food-group restrictions without scientific evidence that supports their efficacy, the DASH diet involves making manageable dietary changes that are flexible and rooted in proven nutritional advice.
This has made the eating plan popular among doctors, dietitians, and other health professionals in the United States, where heart disease remains the Number one killer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2) High blood pressure (hypertension) is a big contributing factor to heart disease and affects 1 in 3 American adults, per the CDC. (3) It’s not just an American problem, though: Heart disease is also the leading cause of death around the world, according to the American Heart Association. (4)
DASH stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." The diet was developed out of a study by the National Institutes of Health after researchers noticed that vegetarians tended to have lower rates of high blood pressure. Understanding that sodium intake affected blood pressure, study also believed that these levels may also be impacted by other nutrients in plant-based diets.
Enter the DASH diet. When individuals followed this eating plan, researchers saw dramatic reductions in blood pressure levels. Today, the eating plan is recommended for preventing and treating hypertension and heart disease—and it has been linked to decreased bone deterioration, improved insulin sensitivity, and possible risk reduction for some cancers.
What exactly is the DASH diet?
Yet it's not only effective for people trying to lower their blood pressure. The diet has been around for two decades, and studies have shown that it can lead to weight loss, protect heart health, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and certain cancers. For these reasons, it's promoted by the National Institutes of Health.
The plan is relatively simple. DASH diet recommends specific portions from a variety of food groups daily, depending on your daily calorie needs (which are determined by your age, sex, and activity level). For example, a 1600 calorie DASH diet includes 6 servings of grains daily; 3-4 servings of vegetables; 4 servings of fruit; and 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy. Also recommended are 3-4 ounces total per day of lean meat, poultry, or fish; 3-4 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes per week; and 2 servings of fats and oils daily.
DASH Diet puts limits on sugar, recommending 3 or fewer servings per week of sweets. It also curtails sodium intake to a maximum of 2,300 mg per day. The diet is intended to be part of a lifestyle that reduces alcohol consumption and emphasizes stress reduction, physical activity, not smoking, and getting plenty of sleep. In short, it’s not a fad diet. DASH is meant to be followed for the long haul.
Why Dash Diet can work for weight loss
Yet DASH Diet offers a number of positives. In addition to being very sensible, nutrient-rich, and effective, DASH is fairly straightforward and sustainable. Many books and cookbooks are available to help DASH dieters figure out how to transform the daily servings from all the different food groups into practical meals and snacks.
Bottom line: DASH is tried and true. If your goal is weight loss, DASH Diet won’t melt the pounds off quickly. But if you identify the proper calorie level and stick with it consistently, it can be a safe, effective, and sustainable way to shed pounds, and simultaneously improve your health.
Because DASH has been around for so long and is well accepted by health professionals, there are a lot of free resources online to access help. However, if you have trouble figuring out how to take the recommended daily and weekly DASH servings and turn them into menus, consult with a registered dietitian nutritionist. He or she can also personalize the plan for your needs by adjusting for food allergies or intolerances and offering tips for following the plan as a vegan or vegetarian.
Potential Benefits of The Dash Diet
Beyond reducing weight loss, the DASH diet offers a number of potential benefits, including reduced cancer risk and blood pressure,.
However, you shouldn’t expect DASH to help you shed weight on its own — as it was designed fundamentally to lower blood pressure. Weight loss may simply be an added perk.
The diet impacts your body in several ways.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force put on your blood vessels and organs as your blood passes through them. It's counted in two numbers:
Diastolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.
Systolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
Normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg. This is normally written with the systolic blood pressure above the diastolic pressure, like this: 120/80.
People with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 are considered to have high blood pressure.
Interestingly, the DASH diet demonstrably lowers blood pressure in both healthy people and those with high blood pressure.
People on the DASH diet still experienced lower blood pressure even if they didn't lose weight or restrict salt intake.
However, when sodium intake was restricted, the DASH diet lowered blood pressure even further. In fact, the greatest reductions in blood pressure were seen in people with the lowest salt consumption.
These low-salt DASH diet results were most impressive in people who already had high blood pressure, reducing systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg.
In people with normal blood pressure, it reduced systolic blood pressure by 4 mmHg and diastolic by 2 mmHg.
This is in line with other studies which reveal that restricting salt intake can reduce blood pressure — especially in those who have high blood pressure.
Keep in mind that a decrease in blood pressure does not always translate to a decreased risk of heart disease.
Weight Loss in The Dash Diet
You will likely experience lower blood pressure on the DASH diet whether or not you lose weight.
However, if you already have high blood pressure, chances are you have been advised to lose weight.
This is because the more you weigh, the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.
Llosing weight has been shown to lower blood pressure. People can lose weight on the DASH diet.
However, those who have lost weight on the DASH diet have been in a controlled calorie deficit — meaning they were told to eat fewer calories than they were expending.
Given that the DASH diet cuts out a lot of high-fat, sugary foods, people may find that they automatically reduce their calorie intake and lose weight. Other people may have to consciously restrict their intake.
Either way, if you want to lose weight on the DASH diet, you'll still need to go on a calorie-reduced diet.
Other Potential Health Benefits of The Dash Diet
DASH may also affect other areas of health. The diet:
Decreases cancer risk: A recent review indicated that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer.
Lowers metabolic syndrome risk: Some studies note that the DASH diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81%.
Lowers diabetes risk: The diet has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies demonstrate that it can improve insulin resistance as well.
Decreases heart disease risk: In one recent review in women, following a DASH-like diet was associated with a 20% lower risk of heart disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke.
Many of these protective effects are attributed to the diet’s high fruit and vegetable content. In general, eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce risk of disease.
The Potential Short- and Long-Term Effects of the DASH Diet
The DASH diet can help lower blood pressure at least in the short term, but longer studies will be needed to determine whether the DASH diet will translate to lower rates of heart disease for those who stick with it over the long term.
That said, for many, the DASH diet is the perfect one-two punch: a sensible diet for keeping blood pressure levels in check and for losing pounds or maintaining a healthy weight.
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