DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure, And With Exercise It Helps Shed Pounds

A Duke University study finds that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet  lowers blood pressure and, with aerobic exercise, it also lowers weight. The DASH diet is low in fats and cholesterol, and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. The 144 obese, hypertensive adults in the study either adhered to the DASH diet plus exercise, the DASH diet alone, or no diet. The diet plus exercise group lost an average of 19 pounds. No weight change occurred among those who didn’t diet or dieted without exercise. Both groups on the DASH diet lowered their blood pressure. The researchers suggest that African-Americans might be more likely to adopt the diet if traditional recipes were modified to meet nutritional guidelines, rather than eliminating certain foods.