Macro partitioning
Adherence to the DASH diet significantly reduces systolic blood pressure (mean -5.2 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (-2.6 mmHg), total cholesterol (-0.20 mmol/l), and LDL cholesterol (-0.10 mmol/l) in adults, leading to an estimated 13% reduction in 10-year cardiovascular disease risk.
To lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, adopt the DASH diet pattern: eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, while reducing red meat, sweets, and saturated fats. This dietary shift significantly improves cardiovascular risk markers, especially if you have high baseline blood pressure or BMI. You do not need to strictly restrict sodium for the diet to work, nor do you expect changes in triglycerides or HDL.
The DASH diet was found to result in significant decreases in systolic BP (-5.2 mmHg, 95% CI -7.0, -3.4; P<0.001) and diastolic BP (-2.6 mmHg, 95% CI -3.5, -1.7; P<0.001) and in the concentrations of total cholesterol (-0.20 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.31, -0.10; P<0.001) and LDL (-0.10 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.20, -0.01; P=0.03)... These changes predicted a reduction of approximately 13% in the 10-year Framingham risk score for CVD.
Why this rating
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 RCTs with 1917 participants.
Source
Effects of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Mario Siervo et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2014
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