Researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford’s John Radcliff NHS trust examined the effect of the Dash (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet on blood pressure in healthy people.
Around half of people over the age of 65 years, and 1 in 4 middle-aged adults in the UK, have blood pressure-related problems. The Dairy Council has called for promotion of the Dash diet and its positive nutrition messages by those advising people about how to manage their blood pressure based on this new research and the wealth of research that stands behind it.
The Dash diet had previously been shown to offer a blood pressure lowering effect in studies conducted in the US.
However, the new study is the first time researchers have investigated its benefits after adjusting it to suit British food preferences and serving sizes.
They found that the Dash diet was easily adapted to suit British tastes and was well accepted by the people who took part in the study. After 30 days on the Dash diet, their blood pressure had decreased significantly.
Depending on their calorie needs, the research participants consumed per day: 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2-4 servings of low-fat dairy and 6-8 servings of grains. The type of dairy foods that were consumed included low-fat milk (skimmed was recommended), yogurt (virtually fat-free and low sugar were recommended) and hard cheese (reduced fat varieties were recommended).
The researchers concluded that the Dash-style diet should be considered when giving dietary advice to people with elevated blood pressure in the UK.
Dr Judith Bryans, director of The Dairy Council, said: “We’re encouraged to see UK researchers trial this diet which has been very successful and widely promoted in the US as a dietary strategy to reduce blood pressure. Advocates there include the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes and the American Heart Association in the US.
“In the UK, we still see far too many people with high blood pressure being wrongly advised to remove dairy from their diets. We hope the relevant UK bodies will take up the researchers call to consider advising Dash – which has a very healthy dietary pattern – when giving dietary advice to people with raised blood pressure in the UK.”
Source: The Dairy Council
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