One Diet, Dual Benefits: DASH4D Lowers Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure, Study Shows - Video

A new study published in Nature Medicine reveals that a modified version of the DASH diet-known as DASH4D-can significantly improve blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The clinical trial, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, shows that the tailored diet also helps participants spend more time within healthy blood sugar ranges, making it a promising dietary intervention for long-term diabetes management.

Originally developed in the 1990s to reduce high blood pressure, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy, and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. To adapt it for people with type 2 diabetes, researchers modified the diet by reducing carbohydrates, increasing unsaturated fats, and adjusting potassium levels to make it safer for those with kidney disease. This new version, called DASH4D, was tested in a 20-week controlled trial involving 89 participants.

During the study, participants ate only meals prepared at a clinical center—half the time following the DASH4D diet and half on a standard American-style diet. Each diet period lasted five weeks, and participants were randomly assigned to different sequences of diets with varying sodium levels. Blood glucose levels were continuously monitored using wearable CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) devices.

The results were notable. On the DASH4D diet, participants saw their average blood glucose levels drop by 11 mg/dL and spent 75 more minutes per day in the optimal glucose range. These changes are considered clinically meaningful and could help reduce risks of complications such as heart and kidney disease. The benefits were even more pronounced in individuals who had poorer glucose control at the start of the trial.

“The original DASH diet has long been recommended for people with diabetes and other health conditions due to its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure, but this is the first time a controlled study has shown a significant improvement in glucose control as well,” says study senior author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, Director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology.

Researchers believe these findings could influence future dietary guidelines and offer a sustainable way to help manage diabetes at the population level.

Reference: Fang, M., Wang, D., Rebholz, C.M. et al. DASH4D diet for glycemic control and glucose variability in type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03823-3