DASH Eating Plan

Summary

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an eating plan that is based on research studies sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). These studies showed that DASH lowers high blood pressure and improves levels of cholesterol. This reduces your risk of getting heart disease.

The DASH eating plan:

• Emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole-grains
• Includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
• Limits foods that are high in saturated fat. These foods include fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils.
• Limits sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets

Along with DASH, other lifestyle changes can help lower your blood pressure. They include staying at a healthy weight, exercising, and not smoking.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Learn More

• Can Whole-Grain Foods Lower Blood Pressure? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• DASH diet to lower high blood pressure (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• DASH Diet: Healthy Eating to Lower Your Blood Pressure (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• DASH Eating Plan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• DASH Eating Plan: Reducing Blood Pressure through Diet and Lifestyle (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Getting Started on DASH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Healthy Recipes: Low Sodium (National Library of Medicine)
• Healthy Recipes: Low-fat (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Tips to Reduce Salt and Sodium (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
• Understanding the DASH diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Why the DASH Eating Plan Works (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Your Guide To Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF

Genetics

• Hypertension: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: DASH Diet (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: An Investigation of the Feasibility and Acceptability of Using a Commercial...
• Article: Protocol for a randomized comparative effectiveness trial comparing a very low-carbohydrate...
• Article: Beneficial Effect of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Combined with...
• DASH Eating Plan -- see more articles

Patient Handouts

• DASH Eating Plan: Tips to Keep on Track (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
• Week with the DASH Eating Plan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF