When we look at diet tips for lowering blood pressure, we need to discuss one of the important diets that are popularly followed. The DASH diet can be helpful in reducing blood pressure. The article tells you all you need to know about this diet.

What is the DASH diet?
One of the best diet tips for lowering blood pressure is following a diet. The DASH diet is one of the popular diets followed world over to reduce hypertension. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

The DASH diet’s focus is on reducing the consumption of sodium, fat, and alcohol. The systolic blood pressure can be reduced by 8 to 14 points by following this diet for just two weeks.

Apart from reducing hypertension, it can also help to prevent heart disease, reduce the risks of stroke, prevent diabetes, and cancer.

Two versions
There are two versions of the DASH diet: one is the standard diet that can be followed by anyone, the other is the low sodium diet that is recommended for those with higher levels of blood pressure and those who are at high risk of developing high blood pressure.

• The standard DASH diet recommends reducing sodium consumption to 2300 mg per day.
• The low-sodium DASH diet restricts sodium consumption per day to 1500 mg per day.

Potassium and magnesium in food
While sodium is bad for the blood pressure, potassium and magnesium are good. Foods that are rich in potassium and magnesium can help in controlling blood pressure. Potassium and magnesium are found in apples, bananas, broccoli, nuts, legumes, lean meat, carrots, kale, mangoes, melons, oranges, tomatoes, squash, and tuna.

What to eat?
The DASH diet recommends the following foods to be consumed:

• Grains
  6 to 8 servings per day of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta can be consumed. Having said that, it is important to eat whole grains.
• Vegetables
  4 to 5 servings a day of vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and leafy greens can be consumed. Herbs and spices should be used instead of salt while cooking.
• Fruits
  4 to 5 servings of fresh fruit, frozen fruit, or juice is recommended. Canned fruits should be avoided at all costs as they contain added sugars. Eating fruits with their skin ensures that nutrients are obtained.
• Meat
  6 servings a day (1 ounce) of lean meat should be consumed. In addition to that, more fatty fish is recommended.
• Nuts and seeds
  It is essential to eat at least 4 to 5 servings of nuts and seeds in a week. All nuts, seeds, and legumes are good to consume as per serving restrictions.
• Milk products
  It is recommended to eat 2 to 3 servings of milk products per day. Having said that, it is important to check if you are allergic to any of these products.
• Fat and oils
  2 to 3 servings of healthy fats (unsaturated) should be consumed. Trans fats to be avoided as they are not as healthy for you.

The DASH diet aims to restrict overall calorie consumption to 2000 per day and can help in weight loss.

Following the DASH diet is one of the best diet tips for lowering blood pressure. The information on the DASH diet would help you follow the same to experience its benefits in lowering hypertension.