The DASH diet took the first place spot in U.S. News’ second-ever ranking of the best diet plans — for the second year in a row. The undefeated DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, actually wasn’t developed with weight loss in mind; instead, it aims to lower blood pressure. But it earned high marks from a panel of experts for its safety, nutritional merit and usefulness for chronic disease sufferers.
The DASH diet was developed to help prevent and treat hypertension, but it was meant to work in conjunction with other healthful behaviors, such as getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day and drinking alcohol in moderation. There’s no secret trick to the DASH eating plan — just an emphasis on low-salt, high-fiber fare, like eight to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables for a standard 2,000 calorie-per-day diet. It limits high-calorie sweets and meats that are high in saturated fat. Instead, in addition to fresh produce, the diet calls for fat-free or low-fat dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. The DASH diet prescribes a lower sodium intake — either the recommended 2,300 mg in the standard version or 1,500 mg for people who are more susceptible to, or already diagnosed with, hypertension, according to The Mayo Clinic.
Its simple, sensible recommendations — developed in concert with The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) — earned it an endorsement from the National Institutes of Health. That involvement makes it cheap and readily accessible: the NIH provides free guides for the DASH diet — a 64-page version and a shorter, 6-page cheat sheet and there are no prepackaged foods to purchase.
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DASH Diet Crowned ‘Best Diet’ By U.S. News: What Is It?
