DASH Diet: lower blood pressure and weight together

Key takeaways

• In the original 8-week DASH trial, blood pressure fell by 11.4/5.5 mm Hg more than a typical diet in people with hypertension, with weight held steady.^[2]
• The NHLBI plan limits sodium to 2,300 mg a day; 1,500 mg lowers blood pressure even further.^[1]
• Pooled trials found 1.42 kg (about 3 lb) more weight loss on DASH than control diets over 8 to 24 weeks.^[4]
• DASH plus exercise and weight management lowered blood pressure more than DASH alone in 4 months.^[5]

In short: DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an eating plan from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) built on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, beans and nuts, with limits on sodium, saturated fat and sweets. It was designed to lower blood pressure, and it does so within weeks. With a calorie target added, it is also a sound weight-loss plan: in trials, people on DASH lost more weight than people on their usual diets.

This page covers where DASH came from, the daily servings, the two sodium levels, what the evidence shows for blood pressure and weight, and how to use it for weight loss. It is general information, not personal medical advice; if you take blood pressure medicine, keep your clinician in the loop as your numbers change. For other options, see our diets hub.

Where DASH came from

DASH grew out of research funded by the NHLBI, part of the National Institutes of Health. In the original DASH trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997, 459 adults were fed one of three diets for eight weeks while their weight and sodium intake were kept steady. The “combination” diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy and lower in saturated and total fat, lowered systolic blood pressure by 5.5 mm Hg and diastolic by 3.0 mm Hg more than a typical American diet. In people who already had high blood pressure, the drop was larger: 11.4 and 5.5 mm Hg.

• Systolic
• Diastolic

All participants5.5 mm Hg3 mm Hg

People with high blood pressure11.4 mm Hg5.5 mm Hg

Blood pressure drop vs a typical American diet, original DASH trial (8 weeks)

Item	Systolic	Diastolic
All participants	5.5 mm Hg	3 mm Hg
People with high blood pressure	11.4 mm Hg	5.5 mm Hg

DASH combination diet compared with the control diet, with weight and sodium held steady. Longer bars mean a bigger drop.

Source: Appel LJ et al., New England Journal of Medicine 1997 (DASH trial) (checked on October 6, 2026)

A follow-up trial, DASH-Sodium (2001), tested the DASH diet at three sodium levels. Lowering sodium and eating the DASH way each lowered blood pressure, and the two together worked best.

Daily servings at 2,000 calories

The NHLBI describes DASH in servings per food group. For a 2,000-calorie day:

Food group	Servings
Grains (mostly whole grains)	6 to 8 a day
Vegetables	4 to 5 a day
Fruit	4 to 5 a day
Low-fat or fat-free dairy	2 to 3 a day
Lean meat, poultry and fish	6 or fewer a day
Fats and oils	2 to 3 a day
Nuts, seeds, dry beans and peas	4 to 5 a week
Sweets	5 or fewer a week

For weight loss, the same pattern is scaled to a lower calorie level, which mostly means fewer grain, fat and meat servings while keeping vegetables and fruit generous. Our calorie calculator gives a starting estimate of the level that fits you, and a registered dietitian can turn that into DASH servings.

Sodium: 2,300 or 1,500 milligrams

DASH comes in two sodium versions. The standard plan limits sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day; the NHLBI notes that 1,500 milligrams lowers blood pressure even further. The CDC notes that most sodium comes from processed and restaurant foods, so the biggest wins are cooking more at home, choosing lower-sodium versions of bread, soups and sauces, and reading labels. Flavor with herbs, spices, citrus and vinegar instead.

What the evidence shows for weight

The first DASH trials kept weight steady on purpose, to test the effect of the food alone. Later studies looked at weight directly. A 2016 meta-analysis in Obesity Reviews, pooling randomized trials, found that adults on DASH lost on average 1.42 kg (about 3 pounds) more than control groups over 8 to 24 weeks, and that lower-calorie versions of DASH led to more weight loss than other low-calorie diets. The effect was larger in people with overweight or obesity.

In the ENCORE trial (2010), 144 adults with overweight or obesity and above-normal blood pressure were assigned to their usual diet, DASH alone, or DASH plus a weight-management program with exercise. After four months, clinic blood pressure fell by 16.1/9.9 mm Hg with DASH plus weight management, 11.2/7.5 mm Hg with DASH alone and 3.4/3.8 mm Hg with the usual diet. Combining DASH with weight loss and activity gave the biggest benefit for the heart and blood vessels.

• Systolic
• Diastolic

DASH plus weight management16.1 mm Hg9.9 mm Hg

DASH alone11.2 mm Hg7.5 mm Hg

Usual diet3.4 mm Hg3.8 mm Hg

Clinic blood pressure drop after 4 months, ENCORE trial

Item	Systolic	Diastolic
DASH plus weight management	16.1 mm Hg	9.9 mm Hg
DASH alone	11.2 mm Hg	7.5 mm Hg
Usual diet	3.4 mm Hg	3.8 mm Hg

144 adults with overweight or obesity and above-normal blood pressure. Longer bars mean a bigger drop.

Source: Blumenthal JA et al., Archives of Internal Medicine 2010 (ENCORE) (checked on October 6, 2026)

The weight-loss version: how to put it together

1. Set a calorie level a little below what you use, with the calorie deficit calculator or a dietitian.
2. Fill half the plate with vegetables and fruit at lunch and dinner. They carry the potassium and fiber that make DASH work, with few calories.
3. Pick lean protein and low-fat dairy, such as fish, poultry, beans, yogurt and milk.
4. Switch to whole grains and keep portions steady.
5. Add movement. In ENCORE the best results came from DASH plus exercise and weight loss. Our walking guide is an easy place to start.

Protein on DASH

DASH includes protein at most meals through fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds. That variety helps you feel full on fewer calories. For a daily range, try our protein calculator.

Difficulty, sustainability and cost

DASH is moderately easy: it uses ordinary foods and has clear serving targets, which some people find more helpful than a loose pattern. The hard part is sodium, because so much of it is hidden in packaged and restaurant food. Fresh produce adds to the grocery bill, but frozen and canned vegetables without added salt, dried beans and seasonal fruit keep costs down. We do not quote a weekly cost because we have not found a reliable current national figure.

Safety: who should check with a clinician first

DASH is a balanced, general-health plan, but a few groups should get personal advice. People with chronic kidney disease may need to limit potassium, phosphorus or protein, and DASH is rich in potassium; the NIDDK advises working with a dietitian to set those amounts. If you take blood pressure medicine, your blood pressure may fall as your diet and weight change, so keep your appointments and report dizziness. People taking diabetes medicines should also ask how changing their diet affects blood sugar.

Alternatives

The Mediterranean diet is a close cousin with fewer serving rules and more olive oil. A plant-based diet shares DASH’s emphasis on produce and beans. If you want more structure around timing, intermittent fasting can be used with DASH foods. For blood pressure and other conditions linked to weight, our conditions guide and medical weight loss guide explain when to bring in a clinician.

The approach

A serving-based plan from the NHLBI: plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy; lean protein, beans and nuts; limits on sodium (2,300 or 1,500 mg a day), saturated fat and sweets. For weight loss it is scaled to a lower calorie level.

What the evidence shows

DASH lowered blood pressure by 5.5/3.0 mm Hg vs a typical diet in 8 weeks (11.4/5.5 mm Hg in people with hypertension), with weight held steady; lower sodium added to the effect. A 2016 meta-analysis found 1.42 kg more weight loss than controls over 8-24 weeks, and in ENCORE, DASH plus weight management lowered clinic blood pressure by 16.1/9.9 mm Hg in 4 months.

Foods

Emphasized

• Vegetables (4-5 servings a day at 2,000 calories)
• Fruit (4-5 servings a day)
• Whole grains (6-8 servings a day, mostly whole)
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy (2-3 servings a day)
• Lean meat, poultry and fish (6 or fewer servings a day)
• Nuts, seeds and dry beans (4-5 servings a week)

Limited

• Sodium: 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg for a larger blood pressure effect
• Saturated fat, fatty meats and full-fat dairy
• Tropical oils
• Sweets (5 or fewer servings a week) and sugar-sweetened drinks

Protein

Protein comes from fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds, with meat portions kept moderate. Use the protein calculator for a daily range.

Scorecard

Evidence

HighNot supportedHigh

Invasiveness

NoneNoneSurgical

Medical supervision

NoneNoneRequired

Convenience

ModerateSimpleIntensive

Cost

$$$$$$$

Maintenance

LowLowOngoing

No overall score: each dimension stands on its own. Hover a value for its definition.

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

• Strong trial evidence for lowering blood pressure within weeks
• Clear serving targets from an NIH institute
• More weight loss than usual diets in pooled trials, especially in lower-calorie versions
• Uses ordinary foods; no food group is banned

Limitations

• Sodium limits are hard because of packaged and restaurant food
• Serving counts take some learning
• Needs a calorie target to produce weight loss
• Fresh produce can raise grocery costs

Check with a clinician first if

• People with chronic kidney disease (potassium, phosphorus and protein may need limits)
• People taking blood pressure medicines, whose blood pressure may fall as diet and weight change
• People taking diabetes medicines

A starter week

Day	Meals
Monday	Oatmeal with banana and low-fat milk; turkey and vegetable whole-grain wrap with an apple; baked chicken, brown rice, broccoli and a side salad.
Tuesday	Low-fat yogurt with berries; leftover chicken salad with beans and greens; salmon, roasted sweet potato and green beans.
Wednesday	Whole-grain toast with peanut butter and an orange; lentil soup (low sodium) with a side salad; whole-wheat pasta with vegetables and a little parmesan.
Thursday	Bran cereal with low-fat milk and raisins; leftover pasta and a pear; bean and vegetable chili with a small piece of cornbread.
Friday	Vegetable omelet with whole-grain toast; tuna salad on greens with whole-grain crackers; grilled fish, corn and a large salad.
Saturday	Yogurt parfait with unsalted almonds; hummus and vegetable pita with fruit; chicken stir-fry with plenty of vegetables and brown rice.
Sunday	Whole-grain pancakes with fruit; leftover stir-fry; roast turkey breast, roasted vegetables and a baked potato.

Questions to ask a professional

• Is DASH a good fit for my blood pressure and kidney function?
• Which sodium target, 2,300 or 1,500 mg, makes sense for me?
• How many calories or servings should I aim for to lose weight safely?
• How should we monitor my blood pressure or medicines as my diet and weight change?
• Could a registered dietitian help me plan DASH meals within my budget?

Frequently asked questions

Is the DASH diet good for weight loss?

Yes, when it is set at a calorie level below what you use. Pooled trials found more weight loss on DASH than on control diets, and lower-calorie DASH did better than other low-calorie diets.

How quickly does DASH lower blood pressure?

In the original feeding trial, blood pressure fell within the 8-week study period. Results vary by person, and anyone on blood pressure medicine should keep monitoring with their clinician.

What is the difference between DASH and the Mediterranean diet?

Both are built on plants, whole grains and lean protein. DASH has set serving targets, emphasizes low-fat dairy and has explicit sodium limits; the Mediterranean diet is looser and uses olive oil as the main fat.

How much sodium is allowed on DASH?

The standard plan limits sodium to 2,300 mg a day, and a lower-sodium version uses 1,500 mg a day, which the NHLBI says lowers blood pressure even further.

Can I follow DASH if I have kidney disease?

Ask your care team first. DASH is rich in potassium, and people with chronic kidney disease may need to limit potassium, phosphorus or protein. A dietitian can adapt it.

References

1. DASH Eating Plan. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH). (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page
2. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al.. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure (DASH). New England Journal of Medicine, 1997. doi:10.1056/NEJM199704173361601 · PMID 9099655 (accessed October 6, 2026) Randomized trial
3. Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, et al.. Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (DASH-Sodium). New England Journal of Medicine, 2001. doi:10.1056/NEJM200101043440101 · PMID 11136953 (accessed October 6, 2026) Randomized trial
4. Soltani S, Shirani F, Chitsazi MJ, Salehi-Abargouei A. The effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on weight and body composition in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Obesity Reviews, 2016. doi:10.1111/obr.12391 · PMID 26990451 (accessed October 6, 2026) Meta-analysis
5. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Hinderliter A, et al.. Effects of the DASH diet alone and in combination with exercise and weight loss on blood pressure and cardiovascular biomarkers in men and women with high blood pressure: the ENCORE study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2010. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.470 · PMID 20101007 · NCT00571844 (accessed October 6, 2026) Randomized trial
6. About Sodium and Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page
7. Eating Right for Chronic Kidney Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page

Facts checked on October 6, 2026

Educational information, not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation. In an emergency call 911.