Which is more effective in hypertension?: Salt-free diet vs DASH diet

In the management of hypertension lifestyle changes are recommended along with pharmacological treatment.

This randomized controlled intervention study aimed to compare the effects of a dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet and a salt-free diet on blood pressure in hypertension patients. This study was conducted with 60 patients with primary hypertension. One group (n = 30) was given an individualized DASH diet, the other group was given a salt-free diet (n = 30), and the participants were followed for 2-months. The patients' blood pressures were monitored daily throughout the study, and their biochemical parameters were monitored at the beginning of the study, in the first and second months.

At the end of the second month, there was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of diastolic blood pressure, while the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the salt-free diet group (121.03 ± 9.73 mm Hg) was statistically significantly lower than the DASH diet group (126.81 ± 8.91 mm Hg) (P = .021).

The salt-free diet was more efficient than for lowering SBP. However, the fact that sodium and soluble fiber intakes in the DASH diet group were higher than those in the salt-free diet group at the end of the first month, unlike at the beginning (P < .05), suggests that restricting the salt content of the DASH diet in hypertension could lead to more favorable outcomes on blood pressure, considering its suitability for a healthy diet.