The DASH diet lowers blood pressure about the same amount whether you already have high blood pressure or not. This means the diet is equally good for heart health for everyone, regardless of their starting blood pressure.

Eating less salt and following the DASH diet together lowers blood pressure more than doing just one of them alone—and the biggest drop happens in people whose blood pressure is already really high (150 or above).

Eating a DASH diet and reducing salt intake lowers average blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, but does not change how much blood pressure fluctuates from moment to moment.

If you have slightly high blood pressure, eating less salt and following the DASH diet lowers both the top and bottom numbers of your blood pressure in about the same way — so both parts get better together.

Following the DASH diet, which focuses on fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy, can lower both the top and bottom numbers of your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.

Following the DASH diet can lower high blood pressure by 3 to 16 points in adults, making it a helpful way to protect heart health. The actual drop in blood pressure might be smaller in everyday life compared to strict medical studies, depending on how well the diet is followed and individual health factors.