Diets can make a significant contribution to improved blood pressure and weight management. Thus, experts engineered specific dietary strategies, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), to combat high blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk, as well as promote weight loss.

Here are things you need to know about DASH diet and weight loss.

What Is the DASH Diet?

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a diet that features recipes made with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as lean meats, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Foods high in saturated fat, added sugar, and salt should be limited or avoided.

This diet is recommended for people who want to lose weight, prevent or treat hypertension, and reduce heart disease risk.

It was created after researchers observed that people who followed a plant-based diet have low blood pressure. This effect is most likely attributed to reduced salt intake since the regular DASH diet program allows only no more than 1 teaspoon of sodium per day.

Although originally created for blood pressure management, the DASH diet provides potential benefits beyond that. It is also an ideal way to eat for weight maintenance.

DASH Diet for Weight Loss

People following the DASH diet have been suggested in some studies to potentially experience weight loss.

Your blood pressure is likely higher if you are overweight or obese; studies have found that losing weight can also lower blood pressure.

However, it should be noted that weight loss occurs with a controlled calorie deficit, which means you need to eat fewer calories than you expend.

Considering that the DASH diet involves cutting out a lot of sugary and high-fat foods, it may help reduce calorie intake, which can eventually lead to weight loss. Some people may need to deliberately control their portion sizes to reduce their calorie intake.

Either way, the DASH diet may promote weight loss, especially when combined with portion control or a calorie-reduced diet.

Other benefits of DASH diet may include reduced cancer, heart disease, and diabetes risks.

Adapting the DASH Diet

Since the DASH diet requires no set foods, you can easily incorporate the DASH guidelines into your current diet by doing the following:

• Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables.
• Eat whole grains instead of refined grains.
• Eat lean protein sources like beans, poultry, and fish.
• Opt for low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
• Use vegetable oils when cooking.
• Limit your consumption of sugary foods like cake, ice cream, candy, and soda.
• Limit your consumption of foods high in saturated fats like full-fat dairy and fatty meats.
• Stick to low-calorie or calorie-free drinks like black coffee, tea, and water. Or measure your fresh fruit juice portions.

Is It for Everyone?

Although reduced salt intake can result in significant reductions in blood pressure, its benefits on health and lifespan are yet unclear. It may be beneficial for people with high blood pressure, but its effects on people with normal blood pressure are much smaller.

Restricting salt too much can be unhealthy. It has been linked to health problems, including increased insulin resistance, fluid retention, and heart disease.

The recommended daily sodium intake on the low-salt version of the DASH diet is no more than 3/4 teaspoon. However, the benefits of reducing salt intake this low for people with high blood pressure are yet unclear.

While low salt intake caused a modest reduction in blood pressure, a recent review found no link between sodium consumption and risk of death from heart disease.

What’s more, certain populations, like older adults, are susceptible to hyponatremia―a condition characterized by low blood sodium levels―because they are more likely to have an illness or take medication that may lower sodium levels in the blood. So following the DASH diet may not be recommended for them.

The Take-Home Message

The DASH diet, which involves eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and reducing intake of salt, as well as sugary and high-fat foods, may be a useful tool for blood pressure and weight management.

However, keep in mind that weight loss results from a controlled calorie deficit. So if you want to achieve greater weight loss while following the DASH diet, make sure to eat fewer calories than you expend.

The food choices in this diet may help some people reduce their calorie intake, but some may need to deliberately create a calorie deficit by controlling their portion sizes.

In addition, although reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, it is important to note that cutting daily salt intake to 3/4 teaspoon has not been linked to any hard health benefits.

This diet may be a good choice for people with high blood pressure. Other benefits of DASH diet may include reduced cancer, heart disease, and diabetes risks.