The DASH Diet and Why It is One of the Best for Everyone

Pop diets come and go but it seems the DASH diet is here to stay. DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” Beside lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, the DASH diet is associated with a lower risk of kidney stones, cancer, stroke, heart failure, heart disease and developing diabetes. On November 1, 2011, US News and World Report ranked it one of the healthiest diets for the entire family.

US News and World Report reported David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, said, “Most diets aren't about the family, and that really is a fundamental flaw. It is typically an every-man-for-himself scenario, and inevitably, people leave their families behind.”

The DASH diet is family-friendly, making it a top choice for all kinds of people. While it deflates blood pressure, it also keeps weight in check. The DASH diet is easily tailored for everyone from children to seniors. Meals include vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy, lean meant, poultry and fish and grains. Included in the diet are buckwheat pancakes, fruit smoothies and southwestern-style potato skins.

Teresa Fung, a nutritionist at Simmons College in Boston, said, “I don't think the typical American diet looks anything like DASH or Mediterranean. Most families get pizza or go out to eat twice a week.” She stated moving a step closer would be an improvement for families.

According to the DASH diet website, the diet is recommended by physicians for people with hypertension or pre-hypertension. The National Institute of Health sponsored studies and found the diet plan has been proven to lower blood pressure.

The DASH diet is low sodium and endorsed by several health industry leaders including the American Heart Association, the Mayo Clinic, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The DASH Diet also was the basis for the USDA MyPlate. The DASH diet is low fat, high fiber and rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Benefits of the DASH diet include lower cholesterol, weight loss and maintenance and reduced insulin resistance. It can even improve the response to medication for people with severe hypertension.

While the DASH diet may have the same name as the Kim Kardashian store "Dash," there is no connection to the socialite. Other family-friendly diets that landed on the Best Diets rankings of U.S. News include the Mayo Clinic Diet, Mediterranean Diet, Vegetarian Diet and Volumetrics.