Tuesday, April 15, 2008

DASH Diet Can Cut Strokes, Cardiovascular Disease

Eating a low-fat diet full of fruits and vegetables is not only good for the heart and for high blood pressure, it can also decrease women's likelihood of having a heart attack and stroke.

As reported by WebMD and other sources, women following the DASH diet (short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) have been found to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than women not on the diet. The study showing these results was in the April 14th issues of Archives of Internal Medicine.

The DASH diet is not really a diet per se, but rather a method of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, along with reducing intake of fats and sodium.

The DASH diet has been recommended by the American Heart Association. The book The DASH Diet for Hypertension, first published in 2001, outlines the basics of the DASH diet and offers recipes and menu plans for following the diet.

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