The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was developed for the specific purpose of of helping to lower high blood pressure. There have been quite a few studies on the effectiveness of this diet and the results are nothing short of remarkable. People that had a hypertension level of 140/90 or higher saw reductions of somewhere between 11.4 mmHg on their systolic and 5.5 mmHg on their diastolic. That is about the same results that many people get from blood pressure medicine. The basic elements of the diet include:

1. 4 servings of vegetables
2. 4 servings of fruits
3. 7 to 11 servings of grains
4. 2 to 3 servings of low-fat dairy foods
5. Nuts, fish and poultry
6. Low consumption of red meat, sugary food and drink, and other sweets

There is a book that describes the diet in detail that only costs $7. You can also find a free overview of the diet at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf.