The DASH Diet
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Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — a pattern proven to lower blood pressure by cutting sodium and boosting potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Detail
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 — Sodium, Potassium, and Fluid Balance, Dietary Fiber and Gut Health).
- Limited: sodium (see Sodium and Blood Pressure), 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 (DASH at low sodium vs. a typical control diet at high sodium: systolic pressure about 7 mm Hg lower without hypertension and 11.5 mm Hg lower with it; Sacks et al. 2001). NHLBI's DASH Eating Plan targets 2,300 mg/day of sodium and notes that 1,500 mg/day lowers blood pressure even further.
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 The Best Diet Is the One You Adhere To). DASH overlaps substantially with the Mediterranean pattern (see The Mediterranean Diet). The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans named DASH as an example of a healthy dietary pattern and included a Mediterranean-style pattern; the 2025–2030 edition names neither, keeps the same <2,300 mg/day sodium limit for ages 14+, and recommends full-fat dairy with no added sugars rather than DASH's low-fat dairy (see Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Overview). It pairs well with exercise for managing hypertension (see Hypertension Exercise (Redirect → Hypertension)).
Key facts
- 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.
- Named in the 2020–2025 DGA as a healthy pattern; not named in the 2025–2030 DGA (which favours full-fat dairy).
Connections
- Sodium and Blood Pressure — central lever of DASH.
- Electrolytes — Sodium, Potassium, and Fluid Balance — potassium/calcium/magnesium emphasis.
- The Mediterranean Diet — closely related heart-healthy pattern.
- Hypertension Exercise (Redirect → Hypertension) — diet plus exercise for blood pressure.
Sources
- GuidelineNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH). DASH Eating Plan (page last updated 2026-02-25) Published 2026-02-25 · Accessed 2026-10-13
- Randomised trialSacks FM et al. (DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group). Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. N Engl J Med 2001;344(1):3–10 Published 2001-01-04 · DOI 10.1056/NEJM200101043440101 · Accessed 2026-10-13
- Randomised trialAppel LJ et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. N Engl J Med 1997;336(16):1117–1124 Published 1997-04-17 · DOI 10.1056/NEJM199704173361601 · Accessed 2026-10-13
- GuidelineDietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (USDA/HHS), accessible (Section 508) version Published 2026-01-16 · Accessed 2026-10-13
- GuidelineDietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (USDA/HHS) — prior edition, for historical comparison Published 2020-12-29 · Accessed 2026-10-13
Corrections (2)
- 2026-10-13 — Labelled the Dietary Guidelines 2020–2025 citation as the prior edition (superseded January 2026 by 2025–2030); the cited content is historical, not a current federal claim.
- 2026-10-13 — Corrected 'both [DASH and Mediterranean] are endorsed in the Dietary Guidelines'. The 2020–2025 edition named DASH as an example of a healthy dietary pattern (p. 19) and included a Healthy Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern; the 2025–2030 edition names neither, and its dairy advice (include full-fat dairy with no added sugars) differs from DASH's low-fat dairy. Sodium targets re-checked against NHLBI's DASH Eating Plan page (2,300 mg/day; 1,500 mg/day lowers blood pressure further) and the DASH-Sodium trial abstract (DASH plus low sodium vs control diet at high sodium: systolic 7.1 mm Hg lower without hypertension, 11.5 mm Hg lower with hypertension).
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