February 15, 2001

Prairie Fare: DASH to this Diet

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

These days we all have lots of numbers to remember: phone numbers, social security numbers, bank accounts, credit cards, birth dates, anniversaries and the list goes on. Forgetting any of those numbers can cause some stress. Not knowing another set of numbers can stress your heart. Do you know your blood pressure?

Blood pressure, the force of our blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, is composed of two numbers. The upper number, or "systolic" reading, refers to the actual beating and contracting of the heart. The lower number, or "diastolic" reading, refers to the heart at rest. A "normal" blood pressure for people 18 and older is one where the systolic reading is less than 130 and the diastolic reading is less than 85 according to the National Blood Pressure Education Program.

High blood pressure, or "hypertension," is defined as having a blood pressure reading greater than or equal to 140/90. Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. About 50 million people, or one in five Americans age 6 and older, have high blood pressure. Nearly one-third of those are unaware they have it, which has given hypertension its nickname, "the silent killer."

High blood pressure makes your heart work harder and increases your risk of heart attack, stroke or kidney damage. A few of the risk factors for hypertension are beyond our control, including our age, genetic makeup, and race. Stress, being overweight, smoking, eating a high-sodium diet, drinking alcohol in excess and living a sedentary lifestyle are all risk factors we can modify.

Losing weight often helps lower blood pressure. The DASH diet has gained recognition in lowering blood pressure, but it isn’t necessarily a weight loss diet. "DASH" is short for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that the fruit, vegetable, and low-fat dairy rich diet lowered blood pressure in individuals whether they had normal or high blood pressure. The diet plan is similar to the suggestions of the Food Guide Pyramid with a few modifications.

The initial study followed 459 participants who ate a typical American diet for three weeks and then were assigned one of three eight-week "intervention diets" including:

• the American diet
• a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, or
• a diet rich in fruits and vegetables AND low-fat dairy products AND low in saturated fat.

While the fruit and vegetable-rich diet decreased blood pressure, the combination of ample fruits/vegetables and low-fat dairy products had the greatest effect on reducing blood pressure.

Eating the DASH way means going beyond the usual recommendation for 5-A-Day, or five total servings of fruits and vegetables. Instead, eight to 10 total servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended daily. One serving is a medium-size piece of fruit, one-fourth cup dried fruit, a half cup cut-up fruit or vegetables, three-fourths cup vegetable or fruit juice or one cup leafy greens. The DASH diet recommends at least three servings of low-fat dairy products daily. A serving is an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk, one cup of yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese.

In the DASH plan, four or five servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes are recommended daily because of the vitamins, minerals and fiber they contain. One-third cup of nuts, two tablespoons of seeds or one-half cup legumes count as a serving. Finally, up to eight servings of grain-based foods and two servings of protein-rich meat, poultry or fish are recommended. A recent study combined the DASH diet with sodium (salt) restriction, and the results were even better. So, leave the salt shaker in the cupboard, too, and eat fewer processed foods, like canned soups and dinner mixes.

High blood pressure can usually be managed with medication, diet changes and physical activity. See your health professional to learn your number. It takes only minutes. If you’re on blood pressure medications, don’t stop taking them without the advice of a physician. You may want to discuss the DASH diet with your healthcare professional, too. For more information about the DASH diet, visit the website at http://dash.bwh.harvard.edu or contact your local office of the NDSU Extension Service for a handout on the DASH diet.

Here’s a quick and easy vegetable side dish that’s in keeping with the vegetable-rich DASH diet. If your time is limited, substitute pre-cut fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables in place of cutting up your own.

Stir-Fry Vegetables

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 pound broccoli, cleaned and cut into flowerets
1 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, cut into 2-inch strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Procedure:
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir-fry 5 to 8 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Makes about six half-cup servings. Each serving contains about 65 calories, 4.8 grams of fat, 75 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A (as beta carotene) and 91 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu