Have you ever heard nutritionists praising the DASH diet and how it miraculously helps in lowering down your blood pressure? If yes, then they are not just blabbering – the fact is actually authentic.
During the last 40 years, the number of people suffering from high blood pressure has increased drastically. In fact, now the age factor doesn’t even matter; from kids to adults, everyone is being affected. With that being said, nutritionists found the urge to come up with a healthy diet to combat this problem – just like the DASH! Most people confuse the DASH diet with a weight loss plan, which is true to some extent; it helps weight loss. But originally DASH diet was introduced to fight high blood pressure.
Curious about the DASH diet now? Well, what are we here for? To end your curiosity, of course. In this post, we are sharing everything you need to know about the Dash diet – from health benefits to how it works. Keep Reading; you won't regret it!
What is the DASH Diet?
DASH – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a diet designed to control and prevent high blood pressure, which can lead to other significant health problems like a heart attack or a stroke. The main aim of this diet is to decrease the intake amount of sodium (a key element that raises blood pressure) and increase the intake of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Though the diet is specifically for preventing hypertension, a lot of people are also using it for weight loss nowadays.
Types of Dash Diet
There are two types of dash diet:
1. The Normal DASH Diet: Maximum 2300 mg of sodium consumption per day.
2. The Low Sodium Dash Diet: Maximum 1500 mg of sodium consumption per day.
How does It work?
As we have mentioned above, the diet reduces the intake of sodium and salt in your diet. Instead, it encourages people to opt for a plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Also, the diet decreases the intake of all sorts of salt, red meat, fats, and sugar.
The idea may sound boring and dull, but trust me, this diet is the best thing you could do to yourself being a hypertensive person. A high amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet can never go wrong!
Health Benefits
Apart from lowering your blood pressure, the DASH diet also offers various other health benefits like a PRO! Let’s take a brief look at them:
● It helps in reducing your blood sugar.
● The diet incredibly helps in losing weight.
● It decreases the risk of cancer.
● The diet decreases the risk of all sorts of heart diseases.
● It also lowers the risk of diabetes.
Final Verdict
A DASH diet is probably the easiest and effective way to control and lower your blood pressure. Still, we would recommend you to always consult your doctor before going for any sort of diet – whether it is DASH or some other.
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