DASH For Good Health

Posted by Jerry Lopper Apr 16, 2008

A study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and reported on by the Associated Press, indicates that a government recommended diet for lowering blood pressure prevents heart attack and stroke, even in those without high blood pressure.

Research begun in 1980, involving more than 88,000 healthy women analyzed their food choices and noted that those whose diets closely modeled the recommendations of DASH were 24 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke.

DASH, for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and plant based protein, with limited amounts of total fat and saturated fat. The DASH food pyramid is a product of the FDA.

Though the study focused on women, Simmons College researcher Teresa Fung, the study's lead author suggested that men would probably get similar results.

Tonight's dinner: Spicy red beans and whole grain brown rice. Fruit for dessert!