Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and mental well-being: A systematic review

The DASH diet is widely recommended for hypertension management, but its effects on mental health remain unclear. This review systematically examined existing research on the DASH diet’s association with mental well-being. A systematic search of Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed (up to May 2021) identified interventional and observational studies in English. Two authors independently assessed study quality using the NIH tool. Sixteen studies (10 observational, 6 RCTs) with 48,824 participants were included. Overall, the DASH diet was associated with improved mental well-being, though findings were mixed. Five observational studies linked higher DASH adherence to fewer depressive symptoms, while four RCTs reported benefits for emotional health and quality of life. The DASH diet may support mental well-being, but inconsistencies across studies highlight the need for well-powered RCTs with mental health as a primary outcome.

 

 

Year: 2023

Reference: Tan, J., Wang, C., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2023). Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and mental well-being: a systematic review. Nutrition reviews, 82(1), 60–75. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad038

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