But according to Sacks, the DASH diet had a smaller effect on the population observed in the new study than it did in 1997; therefore, low salt intake made a significant contribution to the decrease in blood pressure in the recent study beyond what the DASH diet alone would have done.
"In the second study the DASH diet had a smaller effect," Sacks says. "I don't have an explanation other than that it was a different sample."
"The Salt Institute doesn't like to see anything that reduces salt intake," he adds.
Sacks says these results need no more testing, but that his future research may focus on the effects of other aspects of the diet on blood pressure.
"The most important thing [for the DASH diet and salt study] is implementation," Sacks says. "The food industry and the national and international health policy groups should take a look at this and should consider more stringent guidelines."