Can DASH Diet help for Heart Disease?

Why DASH Diet helps treat and prevent Heart Disease

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) helps treat and prevent heart disease because it lowers blood pressure, which is a major risk factor.

The diet was specifically created to prevent and treat hypertension by limiting salt intake because salt is a major factor behind hypertension.

The diet also lowers blood pressure because it includes fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients relax the blood vessels and regulate sodium levels in the body.

Furthermore, the DASH diet helps protect the heart because it incorporates healthy foods such as whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats. It also restricts the intake of bad fats that cause plaque buildup and narrow the arteries, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Many studies indicate that following the DASH diet can prevent heart disease. For instance, the study “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Concordance and Incident Heart Failure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis,” showed that individuals under 75 who followed the DASH diet had a 40% reduced risk of heart failure compared to those who didn’t follow a similar eating plan.

How DASH Diet works for Cardiovascular Disease

The DASH diet works to treat atherosclerosis by reducing two major risk factors associated with it: 1- hypertension, and 2-high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

1- High Blood Pressure

The DASH diet can reduce high blood pressure by:

A. Restricting salt intake:

Restricting salt intake can help treat and prevent hypertension and can decrease the risk of heart disease.

Salt is a major factor that can increase blood pressure. When additional salt is introduced into the body, it disrupts the normal balance of sodium and fluid. This causes the kidneys to keep extra fluid in the body to maintain it. The extra fluid that the body retains causes an increase in blood pressure.

The standard DASH diet limits salt intake to less than 2,300 mg per day. Meanwhile, the low sodium DASH diet is more restrictive and limits salt intake to less than 1,500 mg per day. In general, patients with severe hypertension should follow the low sodium DASH diet.

B. Consuming minerals that lower blood pressure:

The DASH diet promotes foods rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which can help reduce blood pressure in the following ways:

- Potassium:

The DASH diet provides the body with 4,700 mg of potassium per day.

Consuming potassium leads to sodium loss through urine. Therefore, the more potassium a person consumes, the less sodium the body retains, which decreases blood pressure.

Sources of potassium include fresh fruits and vegetables such as bananas, oranges, spinach, and broccoli.

- Magnesium:

The DASH diet provides the body with 30 mg of magnesium per day.

Magnesium is important because it helps the blood vessels relax. This allows blood to flow through them without exerting pressure on the vessel walls, which lowers blood pressure.

Sources of magnesium include whole grains and dark leafy vegetables such as spinach.

- Calcium:

The DASH diet provides the body with 1,250 mg of calcium per day.

Calcium is important because it regulates blood vessel contraction. It helps them relax or contract when needed, which lowers blood pressure.

Sources of calcium include dairy products and some green leafy vegetables.

Fibers:

The DASH diet provides 30 grams of fiber per day, which reduces blood pressure.

Sources of fiber include whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

In the study, “Dietary fiber and blood pressure control,” researchers found that adding fiber to the diet can reduce blood pressure, especially in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients.

2- Cholesterol and triglycerides

The DASH diet limits the consumption of saturated fats, red meat, and sugar, which can contribute to elevated cholesterol levels. By doing so, it lowers cholesterol levels, preventing plaque buildup that can block the arteries.

DASH Diet foods for Heart Disease

- Grains: eat a variety of whole grains such as bulgur, oatmeal, millet, and brown rice. Whole grains are a good source of fiber and nutrients. Avoid eating refined grains such as white bread and pasta because they contain less fiber and nutrients.

- Vegetables: eat a variety of fresh vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach. They are rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

- Fruits: eat a variety of fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, and strawberries. They are important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products: consume fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt and low-fat cheeses since they are rich in calcium and protein. Avoid full-fat products because they are high in saturated fats.

- Lean meat, poultry, and fish: eat lean meat cuts, skinless chicken, and fish such as salmon and tuna. They are good sources of protein and magnesium. Bake or broil these foods and avoid frying them.

- Nuts, seeds, and legumes: eat nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts), seeds (sunflower seeds), and legumes (lentils and kidney beans) because they are rich sources of magnesium, fiber, and protein and provide the body with energy.

- Fats and oils: eat good types of fat such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in light salad dressing and some vegetable oils such as olive or canola oil. Fats provide energy and essential fatty acids.

DASH Diet for Heart Disease: Nutritional Structure

The following nutrient breakdown recommendations for the DASH diet are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Unlike many diets, the DASH diet is an eating plan that is encouraged for a lifetime. It is designed to incorporate all food groups and can be sustained for life with no serious negative side effects.

DASH Diet program for Cardiovascular Disease

The DASH diet incorporates a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain products, and low-fat dairy. In addition, the diet includes nuts, legumes, poultry, and fish, while relying on a limited amount of red meat and fats.

The diet contains foods rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It also includes fibers and protein while avoiding high salt and high-fat products.

This table provides a typical daily serving of each food group incorporated in the DASH diet, based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Serving sizes should be adjusted according to the individual’s daily caloric needs to provide necessary nutrition or achieve a certain target weight.

DASH Diet for Atherosclerosis: recommendations

- Consume low-salt products: Choose products that are low in salt or have no-added salt in them. 

- Flavor food with spices: replace salt with spices and herbs that are salt free.

- Rinse canned foods:  tuna and beans canned foods are very high in salt and rinsing them removes most of their salt content.

DASH Diet for Atherosclerosis: what you should avoid

- Salt: sodium intake is highly restricted on the DASH diet. It’s very important to be aware of the salt content in your meals.

Check nutritional labels carefully, especially in processed foods.

You should always try to:

• Limit adding condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and soy sauce to the food because these products are very high in salt.
• Limit eating pickled foods such as cucumbers and olives because they are very high in salt.
• Limit consuming processed foods such as ham, turkey, and bacon because these products are very high in salt.
• Avoid frozen or canned foods and breakfast cereals as they may contain a lot of salt.

- Sugar: limit added sugar to the diet because it has no additional nutritional value and contributes to extra calories. Plus, sugar has inflammatory effects and is not beneficial for overall health.

- Egg yolk: the DASH diet requests limiting egg yolk consumption because it may increase cholesterol levels. A person can eat a maximum of 4 egg yolks per week. 

Check out the different points of view on egg yolk under “Debatable topics.”

- Trans-fats: avoid trans-fats that are usually found in processed foods like crackers, baked goods, and fried foods. These fats contain high amounts of salt and bad fats that increase the lipid profile and elevate blood pressure.

DASH Diet for Atherosclerosis: precautions

Consult your doctor or healthcare provider before trying the DASH diet if you are taking blood pressure medication or potassium pills. You may need to adjust their dosage before starting the diet.

The DASH diet is recommended for all individuals. However, some people who have the following conditions should take precautions before trying the diet:

Chronic kidney disease: the DASH diet may contain too much potassium for people with kidney disease. Since they cannot excrete potassium properly, the body’s potassium levels remain high. This condition is called hyperkalemia, and it may cause heart attacks or even death.

Some people may need to modify the DASH diet. This is because they may have the following food intolerances:

-  Lactose intolerance: individuals with lactose intolerance should incorporate lactose-free alternatives into the diet.

- Gluten intolerance (or Celiac disease): people who are intolerant to gluten should incorporate gluten-free alternatives into the diet.

DASH Diet for Atherosclerosis: side effects

Some people on the DASH diet may encounter the following side effects:

- Gas and bloating: some individuals may experience gas and bloating due to the high fiber content in the diet. If discomfort occurs, fiber can be added gradually to the diet until the body is well adjusted, instead of incorporating all fiber-containing foods at once.