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DASH Diet

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What science says about DASH Diet

The DASH diet has long been perceived as a healthy and moderate eating plan. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends it to people with hypertension. Many experts believe it to be healthy, balanced, and beneficial for many diseases that may result from high blood pressure.

Proponents of the DASH diet believe that an eating plan that incorporates a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products while avoiding saturated fats, high sugar, and high salt products can help reduce blood pressure.

Experts argue that the DASH diet is beneficial for multiple health conditions such as heart disease and kidney disease. It can also lower cholesterol levels and help people lose weight.

However, recent research has shown that a low-sodium diet is associated with higher risks of heart attacks and cardiovascular events. Some experts have also begun to question whether the DASH diet benefits diabetes.

Some experts believe that people should have an adequate amount of sodium in their diet because sodium offers a variety of health benefits. They argue that the benefits of the diet come from low sugar intake, not low salt consumption. They maintain that the diet lowers blood pressure because it encourages the consumption of vegetables that contain potassium.

 

Opinion in favor of following DASH Diet

Proponents of the DASH diet believe that the DASH diet helps lower blood pressure because it incorporates a moderate balance of all the healthy food groups. It includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products while avoiding saturated fats, high sugar, and high salt products.

Experts argue it is a healthy, balanced eating plan that is beneficial for multiple health conditions such as heart disease and kidney disease. It can also lower cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and help people lose weight.

Many studies support the claim that the DASH diet is a healthy one. A review of the diet, “The DASH Diet, 20 Years Later” examined twenty years of research and data on the DASH diet. It found that the diet was an “affordable and scalable intervention that could almost immediately produce considerable improvements in population health.”

Opinion against following DASH Diet  

Despite the long-standing benefits of the DASH diet, some experts don’t believe it to be healthy for everyone.

Opponents of the DASH diet believe that people should include an adequate amount of sodium in their diet because sodium offers a variety of health benefits. Sodium allows your body to maintain water levels in the body. It also helps nerve cells and muscles function properly.

Furthermore, opponents of the DASH diet maintain that the diet lowers blood pressure because it encourages the consumption of vegetables that contain potassium and magnesium, not because it reduces sodium intake. The more potassium people consume, the more sodium their bodies will excrete. Potassium and magnesium also help lower blood pressure because they help relax the blood vessel walls.

Some experts also argue that the benefits of the diet come from low sugar intake, not low salt consumption. This is because high sugar foods increase insulin levels in the blood, which lowers the excretion of sodium from the body. If insulin levels are too high, the body may become insulin resistant. As a result, the body can no longer store magnesium and excretes it. Low magnesium levels cause blood pressure levels to rise.

Furthermore, opponents of the DASH diet argue that the DASH diet can only help a certain group of people but does not benefit everyone.

Andrew Mente, an associate professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University in Canada, argues that low-sodium diets like the DASH diet may only be beneficial for people who have hypertension or those who consume a lot of salt.

Although many experts claim that the DASH diet is beneficial for people with different diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, recent research has shown that a low-sodium diet is associated with health problems and  may cause heart attacks.

Some studies support the claim that low sodium intake is harmful. For example, the study, “Urinary sodium and potassium excretion, mortality, and cardiovascular events,” examined the link between sodium excretion and the risk of cardiovascular events. It found that low levels of sodium intake are associated with higher risks of having a stroke or heart attack that may result in death.

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