Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)

An estimated 65 million Americans have high blood pressure and an additional 59 million are classified as “pre-hypertensive” putting them at high risk for developing the disease. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Studies have shown that adoption of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, a low-fat diet rich in dairy foods, fruits and vegetables, has effects similar to single drug therapy in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends that people with high blood pressure, and those who are pre-hypertensive, implement health-promoting lifestyle modifications. These include adopting the DASH eating plan (eating 2-3 servings of dairy products and 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables), losing extra weight, reducing dietary sodium, engaging in regular physical activity and moderating alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day based on weight.

See next page for some tips to take control of your blood pressure . . .