Following a specific heart-healthy diet called DASH and limiting salt intake to 2,000 mg a day for three months can cut the chances of developing metabolic syndrome by about 71% in adults with slightly high blood pressure who aren't taking medication. This approach works much better than just getting standard advice on how to eat for blood pressure.

Following either the DASH or Mediterranean diet while limiting salt intake to 2,000 mg a day can lower the number of people with metabolic syndrome by about the same amount. This works over three months for adults who aren't taking blood pressure medication but have slightly high or mildly high blood pressure.

For adults with slightly high or mildly high blood pressure who aren't on medication, strictly limiting salt to 2,000 mg a day for three months doesn't seem to lower the number of people who develop metabolic syndrome any more than just getting basic advice to watch their blood pressure.

People with very high blood pressure at the start of a low-sodium DASH diet see a bigger drop in their numbers compared to those with milder high blood pressure. This means the diet works especially well for severe cases and might help some patients need fewer blood pressure medications.

If you have high blood pressure and eat a diet low in salt plus lots of fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy, your blood pressure can drop by about 21 points — as much as taking one blood pressure pill.

Following a Mediterranean diet and limiting salt to 2,000 mg a day for three months can cut the chances of developing metabolic syndrome by about 85% in adults with slightly high blood pressure, compared to just getting standard diet tips.