Low-salt diet ‘as effective as drugs’ for hypertension
A low-salt diet combined with the DASH diet (The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) substantially lowers systolic blood pressure – the top number in a blood pressure test – according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, along with low-fat or fat-free dairy, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts.
During the study, researchers tested and followed 412 adults, including 234 women, between the ages of 23 and 76, and with a systolic blood pressure of 120-159 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure between 80-95 mm Hg (i.e. stage 1 hypertension).
At the start, no participants were on antihypertensive drugs. None had a prior diagnosis of heart disease, renal insufficiency, poorly controlled cholesterol levels or diabetes.
Investigators put all participants either on the DASH diet or a control diet for 12 weeks. No other treatment was given.
After four weeks, blood pressure of all participants had dropped by an average of 11mm in people with blood pressure of 150 or higher and by 4mm in those with a blood pressure of 130 or less.
Stephen Juraschek, the study’s lead author, said: “Our results add to the evidence that dietary interventions are as effective as – or more effective than – antihypertensive drugs in those at highest risk for high blood pressure, and should be a routine first-line treatment option for such individuals.
“What we’re observing from the combined dietary intervention is a reduction in systolic blood pressure as high as, if not greater than, that achieved with prescription drugs.”