Does the government really know best? Possibly, according to a new study that indicates women who follow the government-recommended DASH diet may keep high blood pressure at bay and reduce their risk of strokes and heart attacks.

After 25 years of studying 88,000 women, researchers have concluded that those following a similar eating plan, which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and plant-based protein as a meat replacement, were 24 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack and 18 per cent less likely to experience a stroke than the typical diet followed by most American women.

The results, printed in the most recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, show that the 15,000  women whose habits resembled the government plan ate more approximately twice the amount of fruits, vegetables and grains as the 18,000 women who regular chow down on food that isn't as healthy.

People might think, “I don’t have high blood pressure, so I don’t have to follow it,” said Simmons University researcher Teresa Fung, the study’s lead author. However, the results suggest, she said, that “even healthy people should get on it.”

The diets of the healthier women frequently included:

- More than eight of fruits and vegetables each day. Forget about coating them with sugar or heavy sauce: a serving consists of a half-cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of raw vegetables or a small piece of fruit.

- Lentils, kidney beans and split peas are some of the half-cup serving of legumes you can choose from each day. If you're looking for a satisfying snack mid-afternoon, one handful of peanuts also falls into the nuts and legumes category.

- Despite the rising cost of wheat, a minimum of two servings each day of whole grains is good for you. One slice of whole-grain bread, a half-cup of whole grain rice or pasta or one cup of dry cereal count as one serving.

- Eight ounces of low-fat milk or one cup of reduced-fat yogurt count as one of the nearly two dairy servings you should aim for every day.

- A maximum of two servings of lean mean, fish or poultry is recommended. One serving is approximately the same size as a deck of cards.

» MSNBC Health