The large-scale government study called DASH found that a balanced low-fat diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure as effectively as some medications. The greatest improvement in blood pressure was observed with the combination diet, which included nearly three servings of low-fat dairy products along with eight-10 servings of fruits and vegetables.
This diet reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 5.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3.0 mm Hg. Blood pressure reductions were immediate and occurred within two weeks after the participants started on the diets. ("A Clinical Trial of the Dietary Patterns on Blood Pressure," New England Journal of Medicine, 336: 1117-1124, 1997. DASH was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.)
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