What is the DASH diet good for?

DASH! This brings to mind a diet where you bolt your food as quickly as possible,
so that everything goes straight through without touching the sides.
Oh! For a diet to be that easy!

In fact, DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and as the
name suggests, the diet was designed to reduce high blood pressure. High blood
pressure should never be ignored, as left untreated may lead to heart attack or
stroke. However, rather than see recently diagnosed high blood pressure as a
fait accompli, it responds very well to Nutritional Therapy, so long as you are
committed to change. Talk to your doctor about trying the nutritional approach
before medication.

The DASH diet focuses on reducing salt intake (known to increase blood
pressure) by choosing foods naturally low in sodium and high in the minerals
potassium, magnesium and calcium (known to reduce blood pressure).
Emphasis is on eating plenty of colourful vegetables and fruit and limiting fats
and sugars. Lean meat and whole grains are included, plus low fat diary
products.

Rarely, high blood pressure is an isolated condition. More commonly, it is

associated with other medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, thyroid and
adrenal disorders, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and frequently the
result of lifestyle factors such as chronic stress, lack of exercise, tobacco
smoking and heavy alcohol consumption.

Is the DASH Diet just for high blood pressure?

The Western diet typically is high in sugar and fried foods and reducing these
(non foods) and increasing vegetable and fruit intake will naturally reduce calorie
intake and have a positive, knock on effect for health. You may well find that you
need a smaller size in trousers, or that your diabetes is improving. And if you are
used to having to strain hard on the toilet, this should be a thing of the past.

Increasing magnesium and potassium intake with high vegetable

consumption

13% of British woman have Magnesium intake below the LRNI (Lower Reference
Nutrient Intake). This is a shocking amount. The LRNI is the amount of nutrient
needed for just 2.5% of the population.

The majority will need much more!

To give you an idea of how much Magnesium the body needs, it is necessary for
over 300 biochemical processes in the body. The result of low levels (apart from
raised blood pressure) can include: tiredness and insomnia, cramping, muscle
spasms, irregular heart rhythms, headaches, depression, anxiety and much
more.

Indirectly, the DASH diet may also help with these symptoms, as magnesium
levels in the body improve by eating green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.

My thoughts on the DASH Diet:

DASH works to reduce blood pressure predominately because the diet is such a
vast improvement for most. People are just not used to eating good quantities of
vegetables and fruit and positively changing this will improve health.

The diet is good, but it can be very much improved!

The DASH diet was designed back in the early 1990’s and as with most diets,
research has evolved. The diet needs to be updated to include recent evidence.
One example I can give you is the inclusion of margarine, which we now know to
be damaging to health due to hydrogenated fat. If you would like support to
incorporate a healthy version on the DASH diet, then I would love to hear from
you.

A thought to take away

46% of children aged 11-18 years have intakes of magnesium BELOW the Lower
Reference Nutrient Intake. What health problems are we storing for today’s
child?

For more information about the DASH diet:

‘Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH: DASH Eating Plan’ By
the US Department of Heath and Human Services
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/new_dash.pdf