DASH diet, often recommended to help adults lower their blood pressure has ranked over more popular options in a ranking of 20 diets by a U.S. News & World Report. The DASH diet, the magazine concluded, was the best overall. Government approved DASH, standing for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was chosen by the magazine’s panel of nutrition experts among other things, being nutritious, easy to follow and protecting against heart disease and perhaps diabetes.
The rankings were based on scores in seven different categories - short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, easiness to follow, nutritional completeness, ability to prevent or manage diabetes and to manage heart disease.
The DASH diet eating plan is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole gains and low-fat dairy foods; it includes meat, fish, poultry, nuts and beams; and is limited in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, red meat, and added fats. The DASH diet's benefits include lower blood pressure in just 14 days, even without lowering sodium intake. It can help lower cholesterol, and with weight loss and exercise, can even reduce insulin resistance. With time, it has also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, as well as kidney stones. The authors write, “Rigorous studies show DASH can lower blood pressure, which, if too high, can trigger heart disease, heart failure and stroke.”
The DASH diet has been endorsed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure, and formed the basis for the USDA MyPyramid.
However, DASH was ranked only eighth in the weight-loss diet category. Most weight loss is caused by Jenny Craig and the raw food diet according to the Consumer Report’s diet guide.
Stress, diet, and vascular health: Can cocoa flavonols help?