Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., with high blood pressure being one of the main factors of poor cardiovascular health.
Two popular heart-healthy diets that you probably hear of often are the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet.
DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, originated in the 1990s from trial studies funded by the National Institute of Health researching dietary interventions on blood pressure.
How do these two heart-healthy diets differ, and how are they similar?
Both are evidence-based diets and have been studied extensively for their cardiovascular benefits. While they both have “diet” in their name, they are more of an everyday eating pattern and permanent lifestyle.
They also both emphasize eating whole, minimally-processed foods. They stress eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean and plant-based protein while limiting (note: not avoiding) foods and drinks that are high in sugars and saturated fat, such as soda and red meat. They are both highly ranked by US News & World Reports for best overall diets due to their health benefits and weight loss effectiveness, and they also support cognitive health.
They do have some differences though.
- Fat intake: The Mediterranean Diet promotes eating healthy fats (like from olive oil and fish), while the DASH Diet focuses on reducing total fat consumption and saturated fats, highlighting low-fat dairy.
- Sodium: The DASH Diet is centered around reducing sodium intake (no more than 2,300 mg per day), while the Med Diet does not have any specific sodium limitations. However, simply following the Med Diet by eating whole foods will typically result in reduced sodium intake.
- Alcohol: For those that currently drink, DASH recommends no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, while the Med Diet encourages moderate red wine consumption with meals.
- Purpose: The DASH Diet is designed to reverse or prevent hypertension, while the Med Diet focuses on replicating the eating pattern of the geographic regions with low rates of heart disease.
- Flexibility: The Mediterranean Sea is bordered by over a dozen countries, providing for more variety in eating patterns due to the different cultures and agricultures.
- Other lifestyle components: The Med Diet also encourages physical activity, managing stress, and social connections. The DASH Diet only focuses on the eating pattern.
Is one better than the other?
The best one is the one that you are more likely to stick with for the long term.
Some people will also do a hybrid version, combining aspects of both.
Talk with your doctor if you are trying to lose weight, reduce your blood pressure, and/or lower your risk for heart disease to see how these eating patterns can fit in with your health journey.
And of course, when making lifestyle changes, it’s best to start small rather than drastically, as this increases the likelihood of success.
Mediterranean Salad (Alabama Extension)
Ingredients
1 1/2 C. dry brown rice
1/4 C. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. cherry tomatoes
1 C. olives, pitted and halved
1 C. chickpeas, drained
1/2 red onion, diced
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cook rice according to package instructions and let cool.
In a bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
In a separate bowl, mix the cooled brown rice and all other ingredients.
Stir in the olive oil mixture.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Tips: If you’re using bottled lemon juice, start with 2 tablespoons and add more as desired.
Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.