What are the effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet?
The Sacks et al. study found that reduced dietary sodium and the DASH diet were both associated with lower blood pressure, with the greatest effect seen when both approaches were combined. This was supported by Zhao et al. who found that a reduced salt intake was associated with a lower risk of stroke. Aune et al. and He et al. both reported that increased fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, respectively.