Adding Fat To DASH Diet Proves Just As Effective In Reducing Hypertension

A higher fat version of an anti-hypertension diet not only lowered blood pressure tas much as the non-dairy version, but also reduced blood fats and did not significantly raise LDL cholesterol, a U.S. study has found. The DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet was developed to lower blood pressure and includes low-fat and nonfat dairy foods, reduced sodium, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Researchers tested 36 adults who alternated eating a control diet, a normal DASH diet and a modified DASH diet with higher amounts of fat. The higher fat DASH diet lowered blood pressure to the same extent as the DASH diet without raising “bad” cholesterol levels, making it a an effective alternative to the widely recommended DASH diet.