Hypertension and the DASH Diet
If you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, you may benefit from the DASH Diet.
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Transcript
DR. RODGERS: If you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, you may benefit from the DASH Diet.
Hi, I’m Dr. Griffin Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at NIH.
My colleague Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, explains.
DR. GIBBONS: The eating plan called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, is a flexible diet with daily and weekly nutrition goals to maintain normal blood pressure and improve heart health. Many adults have lowered their blood pressure by 3-20 points with steps like cutting back on salt, filling half the plate with colorful fruits and vegetables, and eating potassium-rich foods, like a baked potato with the skin. The results are comparable to common blood pressure-lowering medications and could be seen within weeks to months.
DR. RODGERS: Ask your doctor if the DASH diet is right for you.
Follow us @NIDDKgov. This is Dr. Griffin Rodgers with the NIH.