TITLE:
An Optimal DASH Diet Model for People with Hypertension Using Linear Programming Approach
AUTHORS:
Anayo Charles Iwuji, Mercy Nnanna, Nonso Ifeyinwa C. Ndulue
KEYWORDS:
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), Hypertension, Minimum Cost Diet Plan, Linear Programming Diet Problem
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Optimization,
Vol.5 No.1,
March
4,
2016
ABSTRACT: Selecting
diets by quantitative techniques is becoming increasingly common. Linear
programming is the most popular technique for the selection of least cost mixes
of food to meet specific nutritional requirements for a particular group of
persons for either general health or disease-related reason. Hypertension is a
silent killer and its prevalence rate especially in the developing countries,
which has been mostly associated to demographic, environmental and genetic
factors, is becoming alarming. The DASH diet has been clinically proven to
prevent and control hypertension. In this paper, a model that provides a Daily
Optimal (minimum cost) DASH Diet plan for people with hypertension is formulated.
The objective is to obtain daily minimum cost diet plans that satisfy the DASH
Diets’ nutrients Tolerable Upper and Lower Intake for different daily Calorie
Levels. The formulated DASH diet model was further illustrated using real data
set with food samples gotten from the DASH eating plan chart. A DASH diet model
for a hypertensive person with a 2000-daily-caloric need was formulated and
its optimal diet plan for a day obtained with a total cost of 944.41 Naira.
Optimal diet plans for other recommended daily calorie levels were also
obtained.