A Study Of 83K People Found The Best Diet For High Blood Pressure
It beat the Mediterranean diet.
Kass
Image by Jordi Rull / Stocksy June 20, 2026 If you have high blood pressure, you've probably been told that eating well is one of the best things you can do for your heart. But with so many "healthy" diets out there (Mediterranean, plant-based, anti-inflammatory) it's hard to know which one actually makes the biggest difference for your specific situation. A large-scale analysis1 published in The Journal of Nutrition compared five well-regarded dietary patterns in people with high blood pressure, and the results point clearly in one direction.
About the study
Researchers analyzed data from 83,248 UK Biobank participants, all of whom had high blood pressure but no prior heart disease. Each person's diet was scored against five established healthy eating patterns: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), AHEI-2010, Mediterranean (AMED), a plant-based diet index (hPDI), and an anti-inflammatory pattern (EDIP).
All of these diets have a focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean proteins (especially fish and poultry), nuts, and legumes, while limiting sodium, red meat, added sugars, and saturated fat.
Researchers then tracked heart disease outcomes and overall mortality over time.
DASH outperformed every other diet for heart disease risk and longevity
Compared to people who followed DASH the least closely, those who followed it most closely had a 15% lower risk of heart disease and a 22% lower risk of dying from any cause. For a dietary change, those are significant numbers, especially in a group already at elevated cardiovascular risk.
Across all five dietary patterns, the all-cause mortality benefit ranged from 15% to 22%, with DASH showing the strongest association.
In this population, a Mediterranean diet and a plant-based diet did not appear to be associated with heart disease risk.
Why the Mediterranean diet didn't stand out here
The Mediterranean diet has a strong track record for heart health in the general population, and that evidence is still valid. But this study focused specifically on people with untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure, a group with distinct needs.
DASH was designed around the nutrients that most directly affect blood pressure (high potassium, calcium, and magnesium) with a strong emphasis on keeping sodium low.
The Mediterranean diet, while rich in healthy fats and anti-inflammatory foods, doesn't place the same emphasis on those specific nutrients or sodium restriction.
A 2022 review2 found that pairing a low-sodium diet with DASH produced greater blood pressure reductions than either approach on its own. This isn't a knock on the Mediterranean diet; it's a reminder that the best dietary pattern for you may depend on your individual health picture.
The anti-inflammatory connection
The EDIP, which measures how pro- or anti-inflammatory your overall diet is, was one of two patterns (alongside DASH) to show significant links to both heart disease risk and mortality in this study. Diets that score well on the EDIP tend to be rich in leafy greens, fruits, whole grains, and omega-3-rich foods, while limiting processed meats, refined carbs, and trans fats.
Both DASH and EDIP patterns prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods and limit processed, high-sodium options. The fact that both showed significant results suggests that reducing dietary inflammation may be part of how DASH lowers heart disease risk, not just through blood pressure effects alone.
How to build a DASH-style plate
The DASH diet isn't a strict protocol, it's a flexible framework. Here's what it looks like in practice:
What to eat more of:
What to cut back on:
The takeaway
A large analysis of more than 83,000 people with high blood pressure found that the DASH diet was the strongest performer across five well-regarded dietary patterns, reducing both heart disease risk and overall mortality.
All five patterns were associated with lower mortality, and the AHEI-2010 also showed a significant link to reduced heart disease risk. For people managing blood pressure, DASH has the most targeted, evidence-backed support of any dietary pattern studied here.
