The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an eating plan designed to lower blood pressure. It’s built on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds, with fish and poultry, and less salt, saturated fat, red meat and sugar. In the original DASH trial, it lowered blood pressure by 11.4/5.5 mm Hg in people with high blood pressure after 8 weeks, with no change in salt or weight. Cutting salt as well lowers it further. The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute developed and still recommends it.
What the DASH diet looks like
For someone eating about 2,000 calories a day, the NHLBI suggests:
| Food group | Servings | One serving is |
|---|---|---|
| Grains, mostly whole | 6 to 8 a day | 1 slice of bread, or ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or oats |
| Vegetables | 4 to 5 a day | 1 cup raw leafy greens, or ½ cup cut vegetables |
| Fruit | 4 to 5 a day | 1 medium fruit, ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit, or ¼ cup dried fruit |
| Low-fat or fat-free dairy | 2 to 3 a day | 1 cup milk or yogurt, or 1½ oz (40 g) cheese |
| Lean meat, poultry and fish | 6 or fewer a day | 1 oz (28 g) cooked, or 1 egg |
| Nuts, seeds and legumes | 4 to 5 a week | ⅓ cup nuts, 2 tablespoons seeds or peanut butter, or ½ cup cooked beans |
| Fats and oils | 2 to 3 a day | 1 teaspoon oil, or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise |
| Sweets and added sugars | 5 or fewer a week | 1 tablespoon sugar or jam |
Sodium is capped at 2,300 mg a day, about 5.8 g of salt. The NHLBI notes that 1,500 mg lowers blood pressure even further. Your number of servings depends on your calorie needs: smaller, less active people need fewer, and active people more.
The plan is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber and protein, and low in saturated and trans fats. It limits fatty meats, full-fat dairy, tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil, sugary drinks and sweets.
What the research shows
The original DASH trial
In 1997, the DASH trial fed 459 adults one of three diets for 8 weeks, with salt and body weight kept the same. Compared with a typical American diet, the DASH-style “combination” diet lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.5 and 3.0 mm Hg on average. In the 133 people who had high blood pressure, the drops were larger: 11.4 and 5.5 mm Hg. A diet with more fruit and vegetables alone helped, but less.
DASH plus less salt
The DASH-Sodium trial then tested the diet at three salt levels in 412 people. Lowering salt reduced blood pressure on both the DASH and typical diets, and the two worked best together. Compared with a typical diet high in salt, DASH with low salt lowered systolic pressure by 7.1 mm Hg in people without high blood pressure and 11.5 mm Hg in people with it.
Cholesterol too
The NHLBI’s summary of the research notes that follow-up reports from the DASH trial found the diet also lowered LDL cholesterol. High blood pressure and high LDL are both major risk factors for heart disease.
Why it works
- More potassium, magnesium and calcium from fruit, vegetables, dairy, nuts and beans, which help regulate blood pressure.
- Less salt. Most salt comes from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker. The WHO recommends less than 5 g of salt a day, and adults worldwide average about 11 g.
- More fiber from whole grains, beans and produce.
- Less saturated fat, from limiting fatty meats and full-fat dairy.
A sample DASH day
| Meal | Example |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oats made with low-fat milk, topped with a sliced banana and a spoonful of walnuts |
| Snack | A low-fat yogurt and an orange |
| Lunch | Whole grain wrap with chicken, hummus, salad leaves, tomato and cucumber, plus an apple |
| Snack | Carrot and pepper sticks with a small handful of unsalted almonds |
| Dinner | Baked salmon, brown rice, and a large portion of roasted vegetables with a little olive oil |
| Dessert | Fresh berries |
Our recipes for baked salmon with tomatoes and chickpea curry fit the DASH pattern well.
How to start
- Add a fruit or vegetable to every meal and snack. Going from 2 to 8 servings a day is easier one step at a time.
- Switch to whole grains for bread, rice, pasta and breakfast cereal.
- Make two meals a week meat-free, using beans, lentils or tofu.
- Choose low-fat milk and yogurt.
- Read labels for salt. On UK labels, more than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g is high, and 0.3 g or less is low.
- Cook with herbs, spices, garlic and lemon instead of salt. Our guide to growing herbs indoors makes fresh herbs easy to keep on hand.
- Keep unsalted nuts for snacks.
- Cut back on sugary drinks. Our article on sugar in soda shows how much a can contains.
Who should check first
DASH is safe for most people, but it’s high in potassium. If you have kidney disease, or take medicines that raise potassium, such as some blood pressure tablets, talk to your doctor before making big changes. Don’t stop or change blood pressure medicine because your readings improve. Ask your doctor first.
DASH compared with other diets
DASH overlaps a lot with the Mediterranean diet. Both emphasize vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and nuts. DASH puts more focus on low-fat dairy and salt, while the Mediterranean diet uses more olive oil. Our Mediterranean diet guide and our guide to heart-healthy eating cover the similarities.
Common questions
How quickly does DASH lower blood pressure?
Fairly quickly. In the DASH trials, the drops in blood pressure were measured after 8 weeks on the diet, or 30 days at each salt level in DASH-Sodium.
Do I have to cut out salt completely?
No. The aim is to stay under 2,300 mg of sodium a day, or 1,500 mg for a bigger effect. Most of the reduction comes from eating fewer processed and restaurant foods.
Can DASH help with weight loss?
It wasn’t designed for weight loss, but because it’s high in fiber and low in sugar and saturated fat, it can help when combined with smaller portions and regular activity.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
