People with high blood pressure know that it is important to limit sodium intake, practice good eating habits, and get plenty of exercise. But there is another tool they can use to control their blood pressure – good nutrition on the DASH diet.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that the DASH diet is a healthy way to reduce salt and reduce high blood pressure and hypertension. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Out of all dietary nutrition approaches to stop hypertension, the DASH diet is the most effective. The most important part of this diet is that it is very low sodium.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure refers to the pressure that blood exerts within the blood vessels. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder and raises the risk for diseases like stroke, kidney disease, and heart attack. Hypertension won’t just go away without treatment. The DASH diet is a great first step.

How to Decrease Blood Pressure with the DASH Diet

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that the DASH program was created through experiments conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The diet emphasizes fruit, vegetables, and no or low fat diary products and allows whole grains, fish, nuts, and poultry. The DASH diet is low in fat and cholesterol and high in potassium, protein, fiber, magnesium, and calcium. Though the most important element of the DASH diet is the low sodium allowance, every other facet of the diet also works toward lowering blood pressure.

This science-based diet has been proven to lower blood pressure and increase health. It is not uncommon for dieters to also lose weight on the DASH diet, making it an all around great choice.

Source:

• “Your Guide To Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH”, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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