What is the best diet for blood pressure control in men?

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet produces the largest dietary blood pressure reduction, 8–14 mmHg systolic in Stage 1–2 hypertension, characterized by high potassium (4,700 mg/day from fruits and vegetables), high magnesium, high calcium, low sodium (<2,300 mg/day), reduced saturated fat, and approximately 6 servings of whole grains, 4–5 servings each of fruits and vegetables, 2–3 servings of low-fat dairy, and lean protein daily (Appel et al., NEJM, 1997).

For men who do not want to implement the full DASH diet, the three highest-impact elements are: (1) potassium intake (4,700 mg/day, requiring multiple servings of banana, sweet potato, leafy greens), potassium directly counterbalances sodium's blood pressure effect; (2) sodium reduction below 2,300 mg/day; (3) alcohol reduction below 2 drinks/day. These three changes alone produce 8–12 mmHg systolic reduction in sodium-sensitive hypertensive men, without requiring complete dietary restructuring.

Honesty Scale: Solid (1) for the DASH diet blood pressure reduction. Solid (1) for the potassium-sodium interaction as a blood pressure modulator.

What to do: Track your daily potassium intake for one week using a food tracking app (Cronometer is free and accurate). Most men eating a standard American diet consume 2,000–2,500 mg/day, less than half the DASH recommendation. Increasing potassium through food (not potassium supplements, which carry cardiac rhythm risks at high doses) is the dietary blood pressure intervention with the most rapid and consistent effect.

For the full picture, read The Blood Pressure Deep Dive

## Category 16: ApoB / Lp(a) / Lipids