The DASH Diet for a Less ‘Salty’ Life
Our India Health Habits Survey indicated that people tend to be more conscious about sugar intake than salt intake. This means people say “no, thanks” to a slice of cake for the sake of their health, but would readily say “yes, please” to a packet of chips.
If you think you’re guilty of this, you are not alone! It’s much more difficult to keep track of your salt intake because so many foods you eat have more salt than you think. The World Health Organization recommends having no more than 1 teaspoon of salt daily.
Too much salt in your diet can lead to significant health problems like hypertension (high blood pressure). Uncontrolled hypertension can be like a deadly sniper, waiting to take its lethal shot on your health. You can read more about the negative health effects of hypertension in our previous blog.
Do the dangers of excess salt intake worry you? Fear not, there are simple dietary changes you can make to control your salt consumption levels. But if you’re looking to make a significant change, there’s one blood pressure-friendly dietary modification you can consider — the DASH diet.
What’s the DASH diet?
DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”. When a diet has a health condition in its name, you know you’re in for something serious! The DASH diet is a lifestyle approach to prevent or control high blood pressure without depending on medications. There are two versions of the DASH diet:
- Standard DASH diet — Sodium intake is limited to no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.
- Low-sodium DASH diet — Sodium intake is limited to no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day.
The DASH diet emphasizes on heart-friendly foods that you are already familiar with, so there’s no need to frantically hunt for bizarre ingredients during your grocery runs! The diet encourages you to eat foods that are good sources of heart-healthy proteins, fibre, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It discourages high consumption of red meat, saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars. Have a look at the components of the DASH diet below:
Component #1: Complex carbohydrates
Why?
- Rich in fibre
- Keep you full for longer and thus, prevents you from overeating
- Good sources of magnesium and potassium
What?
- Green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and kale
- Whole grains like brown bread, millets, brown rice, oats
- Legumes and beans like lentils, kidney beans, and peas
How many servings?
- 7 servings per day
What’s a serving like?
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ cup cooked rice
- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
- ½ cup cooked vegetables
Component #2: Healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats)
Why?
- Help regulate blood cholesterol levels
- Raise “good” cholesterol levels and reduce “bad” cholesterol levels
What?
- Olive oil
- Avocados
- Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon
- Unsalted nuts
How many servings?
- 2–3 servings per day
What’s a serving like?
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon soft margarine
- 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup unsalted nuts
- ⅓ of an avocado
Component #3: Proteins
Why?
- Help improve insulin response and thus, control blood pressure
- Promote relaxation of blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily
What?
- Soy products
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Lean meat (poultry and fish)
- Eggs
- Low-fat dairy products
How many servings?
- 6 servings or less of meat per day
What’s a serving like?
- 4–5 servings of nuts and seeds per week
- Around 28 grams of lean meat or fish
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
Component #4: Fruits and vegetables
Why?
- Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals like magnesium and potassium, and complex carbohydrates
- Low in fat (except coconut)
What?
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Dried fruits
- Frozen fruits and vegetables low in or without added sugar or sodium
- Fruit juices without added sugar
How many servings?
- 4–5 servings per day
What’s a serving like?
- 1 cup raw leafy green vegetables
- ½ cup cooked vegetables
- ¼ cup dried fruits
- ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit
- Around 180 mL of fruit juice
Component #5: Dairy products
Why?
- Calcium promotes the proper functioning of the blood vessel walls
- Good sources of protein
What?
- Low-fat or fat-free milk
- Low-fat or fat-free yoghurt
- NOTE: Limit cheese intake as even fat-free alternatives tend to be high in sodium
How many servings?
- 2–3 servings per day
What’s a serving like?
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 cup low-fat yoghurt
Component #6: Added sugar (consumption should be limited)
Why?
- Refined sugar promotes insulin resistance and high blood pressure
What?
- Ice-cream
- Packaged fruit juices
- Sodas
How many servings?
- Less than 5 servings per week
What’s a serving like?
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon jelly or jam
- 1 cup of soda
- ½ cup ice cream
Research says a lot!
The DASH diet has endorsements from leading health organizations like the American Heart Association, Mayo Clinic, and the British Heart Foundation.
But why all the love?
Research has shown that the DASH diet can help lower blood pressure, regulate blood cholesterol, maintain your weight, reduce diabetes risk, and lower the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular events. Still not convinced? Read some of the research summaries below:
- Almost immediate effects on blood pressure: The first scientific study on the DASH diet in 1997 showed promising results. Among 459 participants who were on the DASH diet for 8 weeks, systolic blood pressure reduced by an average of 5.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure reduced by an average of 3.0 mm Hg. The benefits were seen as early as two weeks into the diet. Blood pressure lowered even more among the participants with borderline hypertension.
- Long-term protective impacts on the heart: A more recent study followed 4,478 participants of multiple ethnicities in the US for 13 years. The researchers found that participants who had the highest adherence to the DASH diet during the 13-year period had a 60% lower risk of heart failure.
- Lower risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome: A study showed that among 1,493 participants in Ireland, those who most frequently consumed components of the DASH diet were 54% less likely to have abdominal obesity and 48% less likely to have metabolic syndrome. Read more about belly fat and metabolic syndrome in our previous blogs.
- Lower vulnerability to diabetes: A study from the National University of Singapore analyzed data of 63,257 participants that were part of the Singapore Chinese Health Study. They found that those who adhered most to the DASH diet had a 29% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who adhered least to the diet.
So should you DASH and dine?
There’s plenty of research about the benefits of the DASH on heart health. It can help lower blood pressure as well as reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome — all of which are risk factors for heart disease. So you can say that the DASH diet is a heart-friendly one. Moreover, it’s a great dietary modification if you’re looking to both prevent hypertension and control your hypertension.
So if you’re seriously considering the DASH diet to help control your salt consumption, keep the following points in mind:
- Consult your doctor to find out what your ideal daily sodium intake levels should be and if you have a pre-existing chronic condition. Accordingly, you can tailor the DASH diet to suit your needs.
- Start easy; you don’t need to make drastic changes right away! For example including more fruits and vegetables in your breakfast is a great first step.
- Make DASH-friendly swaps while cooking. Use healthier cooking oils like olive oil and soybean oil, opt for low-fat milk and yoghurt, and have whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole grains like quinoa instead.
- Watch out for those sneaky sources of sodium! Many of you may turn to savoury snacks to satisfy those hunger pangs, but these tend to me notoriously high in sodium. Find out more about common high-salt foods in our previous blog.
- The DASH diet is just one aspect of blood pressure control. You should not ignore other healthy lifestyle habits like regular exercise and adequate sleep.
Adopting the DASH diet can be a great step towards a heart-healthy lifestyle. But remember, you should consider whether it’s truly the right choice for you. The only person who can keep YOU the healthiest is you!
DISCLAIMER: Dr. YOU aims to bring you the latest evidence-based science, and our content is for informational purposes only. The content is not medical advice or guarantee of an outcome. You should always consult a doctor or qualified healthcare professional if you need further clarification and before making any changes to your treatment plans and lifestyle, or that of others.
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