Pros and Cons of the DASH Diet

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been consistently cited as one of the best overall diets. The lifelong eating plan focuses on consuming fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.1 Foods that are high in sodium or added sugar are reduced.

The DASH program was developed by a panel of experts at the National Institutes of Health to help Americans lower their blood pressure.2 But as it turns out, it can also promote healthy weight loss and may provide other health benefits, as well.

However, there is no diet that is perfect for everyone. Consider the pros and cons of this eating plan before you begin the diet.

Pros

• Evidence-based health benefits
• Accessible
• Flexible
• Nutritional balance
• Designed for lifelong wellness
• Backed by major health organizations

Cons

• Hard to maintain
• No convenience foods
• No organized support
• Not designed for weight loss
• May not be appropriate for everyone

Pros

Evidence-Based Health Benefits
The DASH diet has been studied extensively. The original study which introduced the eating plan was published in 1997 and showed that the diet helped to reduce high blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure and reduced it even more in those with hypertension.
Further research has found that the DASH diet helps to reduce LDL cholesterol, and may improve other cardiovascular risk factors, as well. The DASH diet has been shown to be an effective management strategy for diabetes and research has even shown that the DASH diet may reduce the risk of gout in men.

Accessible

The food recommended on the DASH diet can be easily found in almost any supermarket. There are no hard-to-find ingredients, required foods, supplements, or subscriptions required to follow the program.1
Flexible
DASH diet plans are available for various calorie levels to accommodate men and women with different activity levels.
Additionally, those who follow special diets can follow the DASH eating plan.

Nutritional Balance

While many diets require consumers to drastically shift their macronutrient balance (including low-carb diets or low-fat diets) or severely restrict calories, the DASH diet stays within nutritional guidelines provided by the USDA.
Lifelong Wellness
The DASH diet is not a short-term program. The eating plan is designed to be a lifestyle that you maintain for life.1
Cons

Hard to Maintain

Those who eat a typical American diet may have a hard time adjusting to the DASH plan.
No Organized Support
Another popular feature of some diet plans is group support. Some programs offer face-to-face counseling, group meetings, or peer-to-peer coaching. These features help people get through rough patches when motivation wanes, allows them to ask questions, and learn insightful tips and insider tricks.13
While you’ll find plenty of DASH diet resources available, there is no organized support platform for the plan.
Not Specifically Designed for Weight Loss
While you can follow a lower-calorie target plan on the DASH diet, the primary emphasis is not on weight loss. Furthermore, studies investigating the DASH diet don’t focus on weight loss, but rather on other health outcomes.4 So it can be hard to tell how the DASH diet compares to other diets when you’re trying to lose weight.

Not Appropriate for Everyone

While there are many people who can benefit from the DASH diet, researchers have identified certain groups who should exercise caution before changing their eating habits to adopt this plan.
A published study investigated the DASH diet in special populations. While study authors note that the diet is healthy for most people, they advise that patients with chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, and those who are prescribed renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system antagonist should exercise caution.
Be sure to consult your doctor before deciding to follow the dash diet.