A new study has produced shocking results on the effects of the DASH diet for people aged 74 and younger.
Well, perhaps the results aren’t entirely shocking. The DASH diet has been proven to have benefits for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. But new findings from researchers at Wake Forest University recently uncovered a specific group that may experience even greater benefit.
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The “DASH” in DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Its focus is to reduce blood pressure and, hopefully, prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular-related events. It closely resembles the Mediterranean diet with a few slight differences, the main ones being that completely excludes alcohol and gives the green-light to low-fat dairy. Otherwise, it is largely based on plant-based foods, healthy fats, fish, and a little bit of poultry, while staying away from added sugars and refined grains, saturated fats, and processed foods.
The new study from Wake Forest, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, showed that the DASH diet may have a particular benefit for preventing heart failure in people 74 and under. And a significant benefit at that: risk was reduced by 40 percent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 5.7 million Americans have heart failure. What’s heart failure? It’s when your heart beats but can’t pump blood as effectively as you need, and organs and tissues don’t get adequate nutrients and oxygen. Keeping nutrient-rich oxygenated blood pumping throughout the system is needed to stay healthy.
If you’re younger than 75, the DASH diet is something worth considering. Some staple DASH diet food items include:
- Whole wheat bagels
- Peanut butter
- Walnuts
- Oranges
- Spinach
- Almonds
- Fat-free milk
- Apples
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Sourdough
- Green beans
Devon Andre has been involved in the health and dietary supplement industry for a number of years. Devon has written extensively for Bel Marra Health. He has a Bachelor of Forensic Science from the University of Windsor, and went on to complete a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh. Devon is keenly aware of trends and new developments in the area of health and wellness. He embraces an active lifestyle combining diet, exercise and healthy choices. By working to inform readers of the options available to them, he hopes to improve their health and quality of life.
