^{Original article from Today by Kristin Kirkpatrick}

According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost half of all Americans have hypertension, or high blood pressure.

However, only a small proportion are managing it, which is concerning considering that high blood pressure poses a significant risk to overall health. Uncontrolled hypertension is a direct risk factor for heart attack and stroke, worsening diabetes, and even dementia.

In addition to medication, your diet plays an important role in controlling high blood pressure.

Studies show that the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is one of the best dietary approaches to follow to lower blood pressure. The DASH diet was designed for the specific goal of management of high blood pressure and has been studied extensively over the past two decades. It includes low-sodium dietary approaches with a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry and healthy fats like extra vir…