HK BioTek Nutritionist, Intern
What is DASH Diet? DASH Diet is Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension - it is a clinically approved method to control or prevent hypertension proposed by the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH). The old-school thought is that sodium is the only evil and should be restricted in our diet, yet the DASH diet is the new idea of maintaining a healthy heart and is easier to comply with, instead of admiring or limiting a single food. The principle of DASH diet emphasizes on high potassium, magnesium, calcium, fiber, unsaturated fats as well as low saturated fat. It is a combination of various nutrients that can achieve the goal of lowering blood pressure, at the same time retaining a little bit of “taste” to the diet. It is suitable for people who do not have any kidney functioning problem and would like to reduce and control their blood pressure, and without any problem of kidney functioning.
Principle of DASH diet | Mechanism |
|---|---|
Potassium | Reduces tension in the blood vessel wall → lower blood pressure |
Magnesium | Relaxes blood vessel, lower insulin resistance → Regulates blood pressure |
Calcium | Regulates blood pressure |
Fiber | Lower insulin resistance |
Unsaturated fats | “Healthy fat” to reduce blood cholesterol → antagonizing the effects of saturated fat |
Low saturated fat | Overconsumption of saturated fat increases the blood cholesterol and also the risk of heart disease |
Dietary suggestions:
5 portions of fruits
Rich in potassium - banana, melon etc
5 portions of vegetables
Dark green vegetables
Rich in potassium - spinach, mushrooms etc
Proteins
Replacing red meat by white meat
Plant-based proteins - legumes, soy products
3-7 portions of dairy products
Low-fat dairy products - low fat milk, yogurt and cheese
Whole grain products
Unrefined - brown rice, five-grain rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, taro etc., at least account for more than two-third of the daily intake
1 portion of nuts & seeds
Peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, cashews, etc
Oil
Plant-based oil - canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil etc
References
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