What is the DASH diet? Could it be the healthiest eating plan? How is it followed?

The leading website US News announced the world’s best diets. Its annually updated list added, in 2016, another 3 diets. Editors spent months reviewing medical-scientific publications, official reports and other sources to prepare a profile for each diet, covering how it is followed, its objectives and health risks. Then an internationally recognized team of doctors, nutrition experts and researchers, 22 people in total, evaluated each diet in 7 categories, incorporating their own views. The categories were:

1. How easy is it to follow?
2. Short-term weight-loss effectiveness
3. Long-term weight-loss effectiveness
4. Nutritional completeness (meeting daily nutritional needs)
5. Safety for health
6. Effectiveness in diabetes prevention and management
7. Effectiveness in heart disease prevention and management

Editors converted expert assessments into scores from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), creating a ranking of 38 diets. DASH was selected as the best diet in the 2016 ranking.

What is the DASH diet?

DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”, rendered in Turkish as “Dietary Approaches to Prevent Hypertension”.

What is the DASH diet’s aim?

The aim is to reduce total dietary fat and limit daily salt consumption.

What does the DASH diet contain?

Total salt, total fat, saturated fat, high-sugar foods and red meat are reduced, while fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and dairy products, grains such as wheat, rice, barley, bulgur, corn and millet, fish, poultry and nuts are recommended. Although reducing sodium (salt) is a goal, increased grain consumption and reduced red and processed meat consumption make it similar to the Mediterranean diet , and this similarity reduces colorectal cancer risk.

DASH recommends vegetables and fruits at 8-10 portions/day, low-fat milk and dairy at 2-3 portions/day, red meat, fish and poultry such as chicken at 2 portions/day, and solid fats and oils at 2-3 portions/day.

In DASH, daily sodium (salt) intake of 2300 mg - 1500 mg is recommended, while intake of potassium (4,7g/day), calcium (1250 g/day) and magnesium (500 mg/day) should increase. Nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, etc.) and legumes (chickpeas, dried beans, lentils, borlotti beans, etc.) protect against cancer and heart disease through their potassium, magnesium and calcium content.

Effects of foods on the DASH diet list

According to research:

Dairy products: Low-fat dairy products are recommended in DASH, provided amounts are not excessive. Strong evidence concerning dairy consumption and cancer risk has not yet been found.

Salt: Salt is limited in DASH. Studies show that excessive salt intake substantially increases cancer risk.

Whole grains: DASH recommends whole rather than refined grains. Whole grains’ protective effect, particularly against colorectal cancer, has been proven.

Red meat: Processed red meat is known to increase the risk particularly of colorectal cancer, as well as stomach, bladder, lung and pancreatic cancers.

Fruits and vegetables: DASH recommends increased fruit and vegetable intake. They are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Studies show that their consumption reduces bladder cancer risk by % 14.

Nuts: Studies report that nuts protect against cancer, particularly in women. The same effect has been observed for prostate cancer.

Scientific studies on DASH

1. A study involving 810 patients evaluated DASH’s effects on weight loss and blood pressure control. Those following DASH lost weight and achieved the best blood pressure control.
2. Another study involving 459 participants found the best blood pressure regulation with DASH, including low-fat milk and dairy and 10 portions of vegetables and fruits.
3. In a study involving people with hypertension and normal blood pressure, 412 participants in total, blood pressure declined markedly in the DASH group.

In conclusion, research shows that DASH has an important effect on blood pressure control.

Its effects on colorectal cancer have also been evaluated.

Another study of DASH’s effect on colorectal cancer included people aged 20 to 76: 3171 colorectal cancer patients and a control group of 3097. Of the men, %10.8 and of the women, % 13,6 followed DASH. The study found reduced colorectal cancer risk in men of normal body weight compared with women.

Published by US News, the “best diets list”is summarized for you in the charts below.

First section:

Second section: