DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure: A Comprehensive Guide to Lowering BP Naturally
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art”. What you eat plays a major role in keeping you healthy, especially when it comes to the management of chronic health conditions like hypertension. Ever heard of the DASH diet for hypertension? Did you know that it is ideal for managing your blood pressure levels? Read on to find out more.
What is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet stands for the “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” diet. It is a healthy and balanced diet plan endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA) to help you manage your blood pressure.
Following the DASH diet helps prevent or manage hypertension and reduce the risk of complications such as heart diseases. It focuses on foods that are rich in nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which help lower your blood pressure levels.
The DASH diet focuses more on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat. It emphasises more on a plant-based diet for blood pressure and relies on cutting down on foods that may negatively affect your heart health, such as excess sodium, added sugars, and saturated or trans fats.
The DASH diet also specifies the number of servings of a particular food to improve your blood pressure levels and heart health. Let’s understand how the DASH diet helps tackle high blood pressure.
How is the DASH Diet Beneficial for Hypertension?
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where your blood pressure (the force that is exerted on your blood vessels as blood flows through them) is constantly high. Individuals with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg (Normal Blood Pressure: ≤ 120/80 mm Hg) are considered to have high blood pressure.
Following a DASH diet can effectively lower your blood pressure. Lowering your sodium intake is key to keeping your blood pressure under control. This is because sodium causes water retention in the body, increases your blood volume, and plays a major role in increasing your blood pressure. The DASH diet limits your sodium intake to 2300 mg a day (around 1 teaspoon of table salt).
Foods included in the DASH diet are rich in nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium and improve the electrolyte balance in the body, thus lowering your blood pressure. The foods of the DASH diet can also lower low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels in your blood. This lowers the risk of high blood pressure and other related complications such as heart diseases and stroke
DASH Diet: Food List and Serving Size
DASH Diet Foods for High Blood Pressure
- Fruits
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Berries (strawberries, blueberries)
- Grapes
- Vegetables
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale)
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Whole Grains
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Whole-wheat bread and pasta
- Barley
- Lean Proteins
- Skinless chicken breast
- Turkey
- Salmon
- Tofu
- Beans and legumes
- Low-Fat Dairy
- Low-fat milk
- Greek yogurt
- Low-fat cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Nuts, Seeds, and Healthy Fats
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Flaxseeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Olive oil
- Herbs and Spices
- Garlic
- Basil
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Turmeric
- Beverages
- Herbal teas (chamomile, hibiscus)
- Coconut water
- Infused water with lemon or cucumber
The DASH diet focuses on heart-healthy, low-sodium foods to help manage blood pressure, with a daily intake of lean protein, whole grains, and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
Here is the serving size for the DASH diet:
| Food Group | Servings |
| Grains | 6 to 8 daily (One serving is 1 slice of bread, 1-ounce dry cereal or ½ cup cooked cereal) |
| Meat, poultry, and fish | 6 or fewer daily (One serving is 1 ounce cooked meat/poultry/fish or 1 egg) |
| Vegetables | 4 to 5 daily (On serving is 1 cup raw leafy green vegetable, ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable, or ½ cup vegetable juice) |
| Fruits | 4 to 5 daily (One serving is 1 medium fruit, ½ cup, fresh/frozen/canned fruit, or ½ cup fruit juice) |
| Low-fat or fat-free dairy products | 2 to 3 daily (One serving is 1 cup milk or yoghurt, or 1 ½ ounce of cheese) |
| Fats and oils | 2 to 3 daily (One serving is 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, or 2 tbsps salad dressing) |
| Sodium | 1500 mg to 2300 mg daily (around 1 teaspoon of table salt) |
| Nuts, seeds, dry beans, and peas | 4 to 5 weekly (One serving is ⅓ cup of nuts, 2 tbsp seeds, or ½ cup cooked legumes) |
| Sweets/Added Sugars | 5 or fewer weekly (One serving is 1 tbsp sugar, jelly or jam, ½ cup sorbet or 1 cup lemonade) |
7-day dash diet plan for high blood pressure
Here’s a 7-day DASH diet plan with recommended meal times to help maintain consistent energy and support blood pressure management. Adjust portions as needed for individual calorie needs.
Day 1
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries and a sprinkle of flaxseeds
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and olive oil dressing
- 3:00 PM Snack: Carrot sticks with hummus
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Baked salmon, steamed broccoli, and quinoa
Day 2
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Greek yogurt with sliced banana and a handful of nuts
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Whole-grain wrap with turkey, avocado, spinach, and tomato
- 3:00 PM Snack: Apple slices with almond butter
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Lentil soup with a side of mixed green salad
Day 3
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Smoothie with spinach, banana, frozen berries, and almond milk
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Brown rice bowl with black beans, diced vegetables, and salsa
- 3:00 PM Snack: Handful of mixed nuts
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, roasted sweet potato, and sautéed kale
Day 4
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Whole-grain toast with avocado and a poached egg
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Quinoa salad with cucumbers, bell peppers, and chickpeas, dressed with olive oil and lemon
- 3:00 PM Snack: Celery sticks with hummus
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Baked tofu, steamed green beans, and brown rice
Day 5
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Cottage cheese with sliced peaches and a sprinkle of chia seeds
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Whole-wheat pita stuffed with grilled veggies and feta
- 3:00 PM Snack: A handful of grapes
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Baked cod, mashed cauliflower, and roasted Brussels sprouts
Day 6
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Smoothie bowl with mango, spinach, and almond milk topped with pumpkin seeds
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Vegetable stir-fry with tofu, bell peppers, broccoli, and brown rice
- 3:00 PM Snack: Fresh pineapple slices
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Grilled lean steak with sweet potato and a side of asparagus
Day 7
- 7:30 AM Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, spinach, and whole-grain toast
- 12:00 PM Lunch: Spinach salad with grilled chicken, walnuts, sliced apple, and balsamic vinaigrette
- 3:00 PM Snack: Pear with cottage cheese
- 6:30 PM Dinner: Shrimp stir-fry with mixed vegetables and quinoa
Maintaining regular meal times helps stabilize blood sugar and supports blood pressure management, making it easier to sustain healthy eating habits.
Know What Foods to Avoid While on the DASH Diet
Now you know what foods to include in your daily meals while following a DASH diet. Here’s what you need to avoid in hypertension:
1. Overly Salty Foods
You can cut down on salty foods like chips, namkeen, condiments, etc., that have high amounts of sodium, which can raise your blood pressure levels.
2. High-Sugar Foods
The DASH diet recommends that added sugars be kept to a minimum, so avoid or limit your intake of high-sugar foods and beverages such as candy, cakes, pastries, and soda. Limit your intake of table sugar, unrefined sugars, and alternative sugar sources.
3. Caffeine
Try to avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, sports drinks, sodas, etc., which can spike your blood pressure readings as caffeine constricts your blood vessels and elevates your blood pressure.
4. High-Fat Foods
Foods that have high saturated and trans fat content, such as fast food, deep-fried food, dairy products like cream, butter, etc., can block your arteries, making them narrow and increasing your blood pressure levels.
5. Alcohol
Long term consumption or binge drinking of alcohol can cause several ill effects on your health, high blood pressure being one of them. Alcohol increases the level of a hormone called renin, which makes the blood vessels constrict. Renin also decreases the volume of fluids your body can eliminate through urine. Thus, higher fluid levels in the body and constricted blood vessels increase blood pressure levels.
Don’t Have Time To Read?
- The DASH or “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”, is a healthy and balanced diet plan endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA), which helps manage and prevent hypertension.
- The DASH diet focuses more on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat and is rich in foods containing heart-healthy nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. It advises cutting down foods that may negatively affect your heart health, such as excess sodium, added sugars, and saturated or trans fats.
- Sodium plays a significant role in increasing your blood pressure as it causes water retention in the body and increases your blood volume. Following the DASH diet can effectively lower your blood pressure as it recommends a low sodium intake (1500 to 2300 mg per day).
- The DASH diet also lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels in your blood. This lowers the risk of high blood pressure and other related complications such as heart diseases and stroke.
- While following the DASH diet, it is also necessary that you keep an eye on your serving size in order to keep your calorie intake in check and ensure the right amount of nutrition.
- The foods that you need to avoid while on the DASH diet include salty food, high-sugar food, caffeine, foods high in saturated and trans fat, and alcoholic beverages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DASH diet for high blood pressure?
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a balanced eating plan designed to reduce blood pressure. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy while limiting sodium, red meat, and added sugars.
Will the DASH diet for blood pressure lower glucose levels?
Yes, the DASH diet can help lower glucose levels as it includes nutrient-dense foods with low glycemic indices. This reduces blood sugar spikes, benefiting those with or at risk of diabetes.
DASH diet smoothies for blood pressure
DASH diet smoothies for blood pressure can include ingredients like spinach, berries, bananas, and low-fat yogurt. These smoothies are low in sodium and rich in potassium, which helps in lowering blood pressure naturally.
DASH vs Keto for blood pressure
The DASH diet is generally more effective than keto for blood pressure as it focuses on heart-healthy foods and limits sodium. While keto may help with weight loss, it often involves high-fat foods that can elevate cholesterol, which may not benefit blood pressure in the long term.
