The DASH Diet

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was developed specifically to lower blood pressure through diet. It emphasizes:

• High: vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean protein (poultry, fish), nuts and legumes — supplying abundant potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fiber (see electrolytes, fiber).
• Limited: sodium (see sodium), red and processed meats, added sugars, and saturated fat.

The original DASH trials showed meaningful blood-pressure reductions on the food pattern alone, with larger reductions at lower sodium levels — the combination of the DASH pattern plus sodium restriction produced the biggest drops, especially in people with hypertension. Standard DASH targets sodium under 2,300 mg/day, with a lower-sodium version near 1,500 mg/day for greater effect.

Pros: Strong, specific evidence for blood-pressure control and broader cardiovascular benefit; nutrient-dense and balanced; flexible enough for most people. Cons: Like other patterns it doesn't inherently restrict calories for weight loss; the low-fat-dairy and lower-sodium emphasis can feel restrictive at first; benefits depend on consistent adherence (see diet-adherence-principle). DASH overlaps substantially with the Mediterranean pattern (see mediterranean-diet); both are endorsed in the Dietary Guidelines. It pairs well with exercise for managing hypertension (see hypertension-exercise).

• Designed to lower blood pressure; rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber.
• Limits sodium, red/processed meat, added sugars, saturated fat.
• Bigger BP drops at lower sodium; standard <2,300 mg/day, lower version ~1,500 mg/day.
• Strong evidence for BP and cardiovascular health.
• Doesn't control calories by itself; overlaps with Mediterranean pattern.

• sodium — central lever of DASH.
• electrolytes — potassium/calcium/magnesium emphasis.
• mediterranean-diet — closely related heart-healthy pattern.
• hypertension-exercise — diet plus exercise for blood pressure.