image: DASH guide to lowering your blood pressure with DASH
Credit: NIH
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, Diet, developed in part by Pennington Biomedical Research Center scientists, has been recognized as the second-best diet overall and the best heart-healthy diet in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Diets Rankings.
Released annually with the start of the new year when many people are looking for diets and healthy eating options as part of New Year’s resolutions, and U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diets rankings examine 38 diets among 21 categories.
The DASH Diet, known for fighting high blood pressure, received praise for being well researched and scientifically backed for its health benefits, being nutritionally complete and versatile, and being filling and nonrestrictive, according to U.S. News & World Report.
“The DASH Diet was developed by some of our Pennington Biomedical pioneers, with Dr. George Bray, Dr. Donna Ryan and Dr. Catherine Champagne among the lead developers in the DASH Diet Collaborative Research Group,” said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical. “Thirty years after its development, the DASH Diet has stood the test of time and is a proven eating plan with numerous health benefits. Pennington Biomedical is proud of our history and role in the DASH Diet.”
In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the DASH Diet appears on several of the categories, including:
- Best Diets Overall (No. 2)
- Best Heart-Healthy Diets (No. 1)
- Best Diets for High Blood Pressure (No. 1)
- Best Diets for High Cholesterol (No. 2)
- Best Diabetes Diets (No. 3)
- Best Diets for Prediabetes (No. 2)
- Best Diets for Healthy Eating (No. 2)
- Best Diets for Gut Health (No. 2)
- Easiest Diets to Follow (No. 3)
- Best Diets for Mental Health (No. 4)
- Best Diets for Menopause (No. 4)
- Best Diets for Arthritis (No. 4)
- Best Diets for Brain Health (No. 4)
“The DASH Diet is a healthy eating pattern that is easy to stick with, and it works for the whole family,” said Dr. Champagne, professor and registered dietitian nutritionist at Pennington Biomedical. “For the past 15 years, DASH has been ranked at or near the top of the U.S. News & World Report rankings because it is scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, lower the risk of stroke, lowers the risk of cardiovascular events, and works to improve metabolism regardless of your size.”
The DASH Diet is an eating plan that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat and that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. The diet includes whole grain products, fish, poultry and nuts, while reducing lean red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages compared to the typical American diet. It is rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the research for the DASH Diet. The study results were first published in the 1997 New England Journal of Medicine publication, which has been cited by other researchers about 6,000 times since original publication.
U.S. News' evaluation of diets follow a methodology devised by in partnership with The Harris Poll, which factors in evaluations from 69 expert panelists — including medical doctors, registered dietitians, nutritional epidemiologists, chefs and weight loss researchers.
About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System.
The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 530 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.
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