The effect of the DASH diet or the normal American diet with different sodium levels (3,300, 2,300 or 1,500mg) was examined. Participants (n=412) were randomly assigned to one of the two eating plans and followed for a month at each of the 3 sodium levels. Although reducing salt intake lowered blood pressure for both eating plans, the results showed that the combined effect of a lower sodium intake with the DASH diet was greater than just the DASH diet or a low salt diet. The greatest effect was with the lower sodium intake of 1,500mg, particularly for those without hypertension.
DASH diet patient education brochure: Please see here for a detailed patient education brochure for the DASH diet: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf