DASH Dietary Pattern and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Year Published: 2019

Nutrients

Chiavaroli L, Viguiliouk E, Nishi SK, Blanco Mejia S, Rahelić D, Kahleová H, Salas-Salvadó J, Kendall CW, Sievenpiper JL

In this review of studies, authors examined the DASH diet, which is a dietary pattern that is widely recommended for cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts/legumes, and limits saturated fats, red/processed meats, and added sugars. Authors looked at the relationship between the diet and cardiovascular disease, as well as other cardiometabolic outcomes.

Key Findings: A total of 31 trials were used in the analysis, and included 4,414 people. Two additional analyses were also performed by the authors with 65 people. The DASH diet was associated with decreased cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C (a measure of long-term blood glucose control), fasting insulin, and body weight.