DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) trial published in NEJM showed that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods and with reduced saturated and total fat can substantially lower blood pressure.
This trial was published in 1997 – results were seen with 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day but our dietary recommendations still recommend 5-7 a day and people actually get 4.3 per day.
JAMA article looking at effect of plant based diets on blood pressure showed similar findings.
Summary of article:
- Clinical trials – plant based diet achieved a 4.8 mmHg drop in systolic BP and 2.2 mmHg drop in diastolic BP.
- Observational trials – plant based diet achieved a 6.9 mmHg drop in systolic BP and 4.7 mmHg drop in diastolic BP.
