* The
DASH diet is specifically designed to reduce high blood pressure (studies suggest that it also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney stones).
The study analyzed data from the DASH-Sodium trial, conducted at four clinical centers during 1998-99, it tested the
DASH diet, a high-fiber diet which is relatively low in fat and high in fruits, nuts, and vegetables, against a low-fiber control diet.
During the six-month study, those who followed the
DASH diet alone did not improve on assessments of executive function (responsible for tasks like planning, problem-solving, and multitasking), while the health-education group's function worsened.
" The original trial randomized 208 subjects to
DASH diet and 204 to a control diet similar to what most Americans eat.
The people reported lightheaded episodes more often on the high- than on the low-sodium
DASH diet. Sodium had no impact when they ate a typical U.S.
* Impact: The
DASH diet can drop systolic pressure up to 11 mmHg.
The
DASH diet has numerous health benefits, especially for high blood pressure.
A clinical review of 67 studies comparing 13 diets published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, May 2018, found that the
DASH diet continues to be the most successful in lowering blood pressure.
The study from Brigham and Women's Hospital has said that eating healthy analysed the link between hearing loss in women and three different healthy diets the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), the
DASH diet and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010.
The
DASH diet focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products, with a special emphasis on reducing sodium intake.
News and World Report ranked the National Institutes of Health-developed
DASH Diet "best overall" diet among the nearly 40 it reviewed.
The
DASH diet encourages people to eat foods that are rich in nutrients and can help them lower their blood pressure.