The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan could be the healthiest — and least publicized — diet in America. Even if it has never crossed your radar, it deserves your attention.
Beginning in 1993, the DASH diet brought together investigators from four sites across the United States. In this “feeding study,” meals were supplied to 459 volunteers whose average age was 46. Researchers pitted a control diet mirroring typical American eating against two alternatives: one rich in produce and the DASH plan itself. DASH centers on fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, poultry and fish, while limiting red meat, saturated fats, and sweets.
Which approach came out on top? DASH outperformed the other two, reducing blood pressure on average by 5.5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) — the standard measure for blood pressure — for systolic pressure (the top number) and 3 mm Hg for diastolic pressure (the bottom number). The drop was even larger for people with high blood pressure and for African-Americans. Three subsequent trials explored what made DASH work and whether it could be improved further. Those studies adjusted other variables — cutting salt, swapping in more healthy fats and protein in place of carbohydrates, and testing different carbohydrate types. The DASH-sodium version showed that combining DASH with less salt — 1,500 milligrams daily — could lower blood pressure by an average of 8.9/4.5 mm Hg, and by 11.5/5.7 mm Hg among those with high blood pressure.
Now you have the full picture. I’m Dr. Michael Hunter. To explore further, click the Wellness! button at the top left of this page. And if you’d like to follow the blog, visit the comments section and subscribe. Thank you!
Harvard Gazette (November 3, 2025)
