The DASH Diet for the Promotion of Longterm Health
Photo Credit: Ella Olsen (via Squarespace)
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and contributes to or causes approximately half a million lives each year. (1) This statistic is staggering and an unfortunate reality for many of our very own friends and family members who suffer from hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) dietary guideline was developed to prevent and manage hypertension, but recent evidence has shown that the DASH diet may have more benefits than simply helping with hypertension. (2)
An Overview of the DASH DIET
The DASH diet is simply a set of dietary standards that focuses on Implementing a diet high in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds, and low in animal proteins, animal fats, and sugars. The general recommendations for daily intake can be seen in the chart below.
DASH INCLUSIONS:
Photo Credit: NIH (3)
This set of dietary guidelines is excellent since these guidelines can be implemented across cultural and socioeconomic barriers and can be practiced across different dietary patterns.
DASH EXCLUSIONS:
The DASH diet recommends avoiding full-fat animal and dairy products, as well as reducing sodium intake to less than 2300mg or 1500mg of sodium daily and reducing sugar intake.
Benefits of the DASH diet
Based on research, the benefits of the DASH diet extend far beyond just helping to lower blood pressure. (2)
Photo Credit: (9)
In a 2018 meta-analysis of the DASH diet and risk of stroke, it was found that adherence to the DASH diet was associated with the lowest risk of stroke. (4) Considering this meta-analysis included over 548,000 participants, these findings are pretty significant. Each 4 point measurement of adherence to the diet was correlated with a 4% reduced risk for Stroke!
Additionally, in a 2017 meta-analysis reviewing the effect of DASH diets on overall health status, the DASH diet was associated with a 22% lower risk of all-cause mortality, 22% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, 16% lower risk of cancer, 18% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, and 15% lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases. (5)
Finally, the DASH has also shown promising benefits in terms of reducing the risk of Kidney disease, hyperuricemia, and gout.(6,7)
Potential Obstacles of the DASH diet
Because the DASH diet does not strictly eliminate animal products, but rather limits certain types of animal products, this diet is perfect for people across all walks of life, from vegans to vegetarians, to omnivores, to those following kosher or halal diets.
As with any dietary change, the challenges primarily come with adherence which is typically influenced by how much the person enjoys following the dietary pattern. To promote the greatest impact of the DASH diet, here are some tips to adhere to this diet.
Tips to Implement the DASH diet
Don’t be afraid to try new foods!
If we are honest, it can feel scary to try a new dietary pattern sometimes. We may fear that we can “never eat XYZ again” which may lead us to feelings of restriction and an aversion to trying new foods. I encourage you to explore new foods with the mindset of discovering new foods that you may love. Don’t think about foods that you might eat less of in the future. Instead, think about new approved foods that you are curious to try. And if you hate it, put it down and try the next thing!
Add more seasonings before you add more salt!
When preparing or eating your meals that need a little more flavor, instead of reaching for the salt, try seasoning it with things such as garlic, onion, black pepper, or even citrus. Lemon is an excellent flavor-enhancer to use over vegetables, fish, and poultry that increases the taste without increasing the sodium content!
Recreate your favorite restaurant meals at home!
Restaurants are notorious for adding sodium and MSG to foods to both increase the shelf-life and enhance the flavor of foods. Even foods that may be considered “healthy” can still have extremely high amounts of sodium.
One shocking example is a salad bowl from chipotle can have anywhere from 1500mg to sodium to 3000mg of sodium depending on what toppings you add! (8) If you’re curious to see how much sodium your favorite chipotle meal has, check out their nutrition calculator here!
Instead, try recreating your favorite dish at home. Whether it’s Chinese takeout or your own burrito bowls, cooking at home can drastically reduce the amount of sodium in your meals!
References:
1. Facts About Hypertension. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm. Published September 8, 2020. Accessed November 29, 2020.
2. Rakel D. 89. The Dash Diet. In: Integrative Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:878-880.
3. DASH Eating Plan. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan. Accessed November 29, 2020.
4. Feng Q, et al. Adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet and risk of stroke: A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(38):e12450. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000012450
5. Schwingshackl L, et al. Diet Quality as Assessed by the Healthy Eating Index, Alternate Healthy Eating Index, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Score, and Health Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018;118(1):74-100.e11. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2017.08.024
6. Rebholz CM, et al. DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet and Risk of Subsequent Kidney Disease. Am J Kidney Dis. 2016;68(6):853-861. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.05.019
7. Rai SK, et al. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2017;357:j1794. Published 2017 May 9. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1794
8. Nutrition Calculator. Chipotle. https://www.chipotle.com/nutrition-calculator. Accessed November 29, 2020.
9. https://somoscommunitycare.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/dash_pyramid-min.png. Accessed November 29, 2020.