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Diet effective for weight loss and lowering blood pressure only followed by 2% of Americans�
If youre among the 100 or more million Americans with high blood pressure, or at risk of diabetes, this diet could be for you.
And yet only 1 in 50 Americans currently follows it, according to a 2024 Food & Health survey. Diets are only good if you can stick to them �and some of them are bad even if you can. Fortunately, this one is easy to follow and leaves dieters with a broad range of ingredients from which to choose for their weekly food shop.
Only 2% of Americans follow a diet that could help 100+ million
The University of Southern California rightly describes the numbers as stunning.
Nearly half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure, according to a 2023 report from the American Heart Association. And even if your levels are healthy now, theyre likely to climb as you get older. Thats 122 million adults and counting �in the US alone.
The argument has been made that incorrect testing methods might have misdiagnosed millions with hypertension. However, the fact remains that a startling proportion of US adults suffer from high blood pressure.
Meanwhile, only 2% �thats 1 out of every 50 people �self-reports following the DASH eating plan, according to the 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey, which asked 3,000 Americans ages 18 to 80 years about their dietary habits.
Why should people be following the DASH eating plan in the first place?
DASH is worth knowing about because of its many health benefits.
Specifically, studies have shown that it lowers blood pressure, improves the lipid panel this is how much fat is in your blood helps people lose weight, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Thats according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.�
Numerous studies have supported the DASH eating plans efficacy in helping people maintain good health. So why arent more people following it? And what is the DASH diet, anyway?
DASH, and the hypertension is gone
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Its an eating plan specifically geared towards lowering blood pressure.
The nuts and bolts of the DASH strategy are to choose foods that are:
- Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein.
- Low in saturated fat.
- Low in salt.
The diet limits foods that are high in salt, also called sodium. It also limits added sugar and saturated fat, such as in fatty meats and full-fat dairy products, writes Mayo Clinic.�
It provides daily and weekly nutritional goals, including regular servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nuts, seeds, beans, fats, and oils. The DASH plan doesnt make comment on caffeine, but it is at pains to avoid too much salt.
This means reducing your intake of things like chips and salted nuts, as well as processed foods that contain more salt than your body needs.
Find more information on the eating plan via the NIH. And good luck, if you decide to take the plunge!
