For the eighth consecutive year, the best diet for your health is an old favorite.
The Mediterranean Diet once again finished first in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best diets overall. It focuses on a plant-based menu with some fish, seafood and lean meats thrown in.
The Mediterranean Diet is so impressive that it took the top spot in 12 U.S. News categories:
- Best Diets Overall
- Best Diets for Arthritis
- Best Diets for Diabetes
- Best Diets for Diverticulitis
- Best Diets for Fatty Liver
- Best Diets for Gut Health
- Best Diets for Healthy Eating
- Best Diets for High Cholesterol
- Best Diets for Inflammation
- Best Diets for Mental Health
- Best Diets for Prediabetes
- Easiest Diets to Follow
Last year, the Mediterranean Diet also held first place for Best Diets for Heart Health. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet takes that spot in 2025, pushing the Mediterranean Diet to No. 2 in that category.
U.S. News & World Report also ranked the DASH Diet No. 2 in Best Diets Overall as well as No. 1 in Best Diets for High Blood Pressure. It emphasizes reducing sodium intake and eating more foods rich in nutrients that lower blood pressure.
The Flexitarian Diet — whose name combines “flexible” and “vegetarian” — ranked as the third-best diet overall and well as No. 1 in Best Plant-Based Diets. It focuses mostly on plant-based foods but also includes the option to eat moderate amounts of meat and other animal products.
Other diets that ranked first in at least one category include the:
- WeightWatchers Diet — No. 1 in Best Diets for Weight Loss and Best Diet Programs
- Jenny Craig Diet — No. 1 in Best Diets for Rapid Weight Loss
- MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) Diet — No. 1 in Best Diets for Brain Health
To create its rankings, U.S. News tapped the wisdom of 69 nutritionists, doctors and epidemiologists (who study disease). They ranked 38 diets in 21 categories.
The experts looked at 13 new diets this year:
- Menopause Diet
- Cleveland Clinic Diet
- Acid Reflux Diet
- Gout Diet
- Gluten-Free Diet
- Low-FODMAP Diet
- Low-Residue Diet
- BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) Diet
- Alkaline Diet
- Body Reset Diet
- AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Diet
- Whole30 Diet
- GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) Diet
The Menopause Diet ranked No. 1 in Best Diets for Menopause, and the Low-FODMAP Diet was No. 1 in Best Diets for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
“FODMAP” stands for:
- Fermentable
- Oligosaccharides (chains of sugar molecules, such as fructans)
- Disaccharides (double sugar molecules, such as lactose)
- Monosaccharides (single sugar molecules, such as fructose)
- Polyols (sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol)
To learn more about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, check out “Women on This Type of Diet Tend to Live Longer.”
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