High Blood Pressure: Here's everything you need to know about the popular DASH diet

We all know high blood pressure is one of the common ailments and sadly the number of people suffering from the same is just rising. Do you know the number of hypertension patients has doubled in the last 40 years? One should not ignore the symptoms of hypertension as the same is a serious health issue and is linked to many other diseases such as stroke, heart ailments and diabetes among others.

But, you do not have to fret about it as lifestyle and diet changes will bring a major change in the BP readings. One of the best ways to combat the same is following the popular DASH diet which was designed for the same purpose. 

What is DASH diet?

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or DASH is a diet recommended to prevent or treat hypertension. This particular diet encourages you to reduce the intake of sodium (salt) in your diet and eat foodstuff which are rich in proteins, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

This diet includes a lot of veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean meats. Researchers noticed that high blood pressure was less among people who followed a plant-based diet (vegans and vegetarians). Basically, it focuses on low fats and lean protein sources and is low on red meat, salt, added sugars and trans fat. 

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As per DASH, diet program encourages one to have around 1 teaspoon (2,300 mg) of sodium per day. Apart from reducing the hike in BP, it also helps weight watchers and reduces the chances of cancer and osteoporosis as well. Apart from these, the DASH diet also reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81%. It also lowers the risk of diabetes and heart diseases.

Dos and don'ts of the diet

A typical DASH diet includes: Grains: 7-8 daily servings, Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings, Fruits: 4-5 daily servings, Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 or less daily servings and low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings. One serving is around half a cup, one slice or 3 ounces.

One should include more whole grains such as whole-wheat or whole-grain breads, brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal among others. Another vital addition is leafy greens such as kale and spinach and veggies such as broccoli, carrots, squash or tomatoes. Also, you can eat apples, pears, peaches, berries and pineapple among others.

Try and say no to refined flour, sugar, salt, high-fat dairy products, soda, candies, packaged and fried items.

Bottom-line is people who have high BP, i.e. blood pressure reading of 140/90 can follow the same. For a perfect serving wise diet chart, one should ideally contact a doctor or nutritionist as portion sizes are very vital in this diet. Also, one should pair the same with physical activity as workouts have great benefits on health. So, one can go for brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming or gym among others.