9 sources: 6 meta-analyses, 3 systematic reviews
Physical · Practice
Follow a DASH-Style Plan
Load up on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and low-fat dairy while trimming added salt. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; the pattern was designed for blood pressure.
8 of 9 sources behind this entry were read from the abstract only; they are marked in the sources list.
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Before you start
Diagnosed hypertension or kidney disease needs clinician oversight
When to seek a professional
- Signs of disordered eating (food/weight preoccupation, restriction, bingeing, purging, compulsive exercise): see a qualified eating-disorder professional
- Diagnosed medical condition (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, GI disease): see a registered dietitian or physician
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: see a prenatal provider or registered dietitian
- Unintentional weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or persistent GI symptoms: seek medical evaluation
- Hypertension, kidney disease, or potassium-affecting medication: see a clinician/dietitian
How to do it
Vegetables/fruit at most meals, whole grains, low-fat dairy, legumes; cut added salt and salty processed foods
For most adultsHeart health
What the evidence says
What the sources say
This practice is one way to carry out what the sources on the concept entry (phys.nutrition.dash-eating-pattern) studied: the DASH pattern and blood pressure. Filippou 2020 (meta-analysis of 30 randomised trials) reports that DASH reduced systolic blood pressure by 3.2 mmHg and diastolic by 2.5 mmHg compared with control in adults with and without hypertension; Saneei 2014 (meta-analysis of 17 randomised trials) reports reductions of 6.74 and 3.54 mmHg, greater with energy restriction and in hypertensive subjects; Bensaaud 2025 (Cochrane review of 5 randomised trials) reports no clear differences in myocardial infarction, stroke or all-cause mortality against comparators, with low to very low certainty. It is an eating pattern for general adults, not a treatment; it complements and does not replace medical care. The full account, source by source, is on the concept entry this practice links to (phys.nutrition.dash-eating-pattern).
Common misconceptions
- 'DASH is medicine-free BP control for everyone.' It complements, not replaces, medical care.
- 'Only table salt counts.' Count sodium from packaged and prepared foods too.
- 'You must go salt-free.' Moderation, not elimination, is the goal.
What we won't claim
- Do not claim any food, diet, or supplement cures, treats, or prevents any disease
- Do not diagnose nutrient deficiencies or medical conditions
- Do not promise specific weight-loss amounts or timelines
- Do not deliver individualized medical nutrition therapy or replace clinical care
9 sources: 6 meta-analyses, 3 systematic reviews
- Agreement
- Direction recorded for 0 of 9 sources; not yet recorded for the rest.
- The claim's outcome
- Outcome not yet recorded
- Certainty
- No source states a certainty rating.
- Authors
- Sources share authors: L. Azadbakht (senior author of 2 sources).
- How the sources were read
- Some sources are based on abstracts, not full texts.
What each source measured and concluded (9)
meta-analysis · 2020
Filippou et al. (2020) — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and Blood Pressure Reduction in Adults with and without Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- What it measured
- Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 30 RCTs, n=5545 participants
meta-analysis · 2014
Saneei et al. (2014) — Influence of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials.
- What it measured
- Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=2,561 across 17 RCTs (20 comparisons)
meta-analysis · 2023
Sahebkar et al. (2023) — The efficacy of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical controlled trials.
- What it measured
- Lipid profile (triglycerides, LDL, total cholesterol, HDL)
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical controlled trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 17 studies, 2218 individuals
meta-analysis · 2017
Soltani et al. (2017) — The effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) on serum inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
- What it measured
- Serum inflammatory marker (hs-CRP)
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 7 trials eligible; 6 studies with 451 participants in meta-analysis
systematic review · 2019
Chiavaroli et al. (2019) — DASH Dietary Pattern and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
- What it measured
- Incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prospective cohort studies; systolic blood pressure (SBP) in controlled trials.
- How it was read
- read in full text
- What the review says it includes
- Umbrella review of 7 systematic reviews and meta-analyses (3 of prospective cohort studies and 4 of controlled trials)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=942,140 participants across 15 studies (prospective cohort studies); N=4,414 participants across 31 studies (controlled trials)
meta-analysis · 2018
Milajerdi et al. (2018) — The Association of Dietary Quality Indices and Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies
- What it measured
- Cancer mortality by dietary quality indices
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 27 publications
meta-analysis · 2020
Mozaffari et al. (2020) — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and risk of chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
- What it measured
- Risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by DASH diet adherence
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 7 studies in review, 6 in meta-analysis; 568,213 participants including 16,694 CKD cases
systematic review · 2021
Farhadnejad et al. (2021) — Role of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet in Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Evidence from Observational and Interventional Studies
- What it measured
- Risk of metabolic syndrome (incidence, prevalence, development)
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review (8 observational studies and 4 clinical trials)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 12 eligible studies
systematic review · 2025
Bensaaud et al. (2025) — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
- What it measured
- Myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review of RCTs (Cochrane, GRADE)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=1397 participants across 5 RCTs (1075 in meta-analyses)
Key sources (9)
Every source below is shown with its study design and links to the original study. This is the audit trail.
meta-analysisDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and Blood Pressure Reduction in Adults with and without Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
meta-analysisInfluence of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials.
meta-analysisThe efficacy of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical controlled trials.
meta-analysisThe effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) on serum inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
systematic reviewDASH Dietary Pattern and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
meta-analysisThe Association of Dietary Quality Indices and Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies
meta-analysisDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and risk of chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
systematic reviewRole of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet in Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Evidence from Observational and Interventional Studies
systematic reviewDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
“Abstract only” means the review read that paper’s abstract, not its full text; “screened only” means it was included at re-screening and not extracted. Both stay in the trail with their DOI, because how a source was read is part of the audit.
Explore all 1,008 studies in Nutrition →
The full evidence base this focus area draws on, every study with its design and DOI.What it is for
Eat better overallLower my long-term disease riskManage my weightProtect my heart