A diet that promotes consumption of fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy products, and is
low in fats and cholesterol, known as the ‘The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension’
(DASH) diet, is now recognized as the diet of choice for the prevention and management of
high blood pressure (BP)1 . The DASH diet was established as an effective treatment for
high BP based on findings from the original DASH feeding trials.2,3 Because these feeding
trials provided participants with all meals and snacks, subjects were not responsible for
designing menus, selecting and purchasing food, or preparing meals; as a result, adherence
was excellent and robust reductions in BP were observed.4 In a subsequent study known as
PREMIER5, in which participants were responsible for their own dietary practices, the
DASH diet was associated with greater BP reductions compared to a usual diet, but the
magnitude of the BP reductions for those eating the DASH diet were less than the BP
reductions achieved in the original DASH feeding trials. It was suggested that poorer dietary
adherence in PREMIER compared to the original DASH trials attenuated the effectiveness
of the DASH diet in reducing BP