For the seventh 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 overall diets. The diet — which focuses on a plant-based menu, with some fish and seafood and lean meats thrown in — is renowned for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The Mediterranean Diet is so impressive that it took the top spot in seven separate U.S. News lists:
- Best Diet Overall
- Best Diabetes Diets
- Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health
- Best Diets for Healthy Eating
- Best Family-Friendly Diets
- Best Heart-Healthy Diets
- Easiest Diets to Follow
Last year, the Mediterranean Diet also held first place for Best Plant-Based Diet. The Flexitarian Diet takes that spot in 2024, pushing the Mediterranean Diet to No. 2 in that category.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the Flexitarian Diet as the fifth best diet overall. The Flexitarian Diet — the name combines “flexible” and “vegetarian” — focuses mostly on plant-based foods but also includes the option to eat moderate amounts of meat and other animal products.
The DASH Diet won second place in the Best Overall Diet category. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet emphasizes reducing sodium intake and eating more foods rich in nutrients that lower blood pressure.
The WW (Weight Watchers) diet took the top spot in the Best Weight-Loss Diet category. The Keto Diet took first in the Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet category.
To create its rankings, U.S. News tapped the wisdom of more than 43 nutritionists, doctors and epidemiologists. They ranked 30 diets in 11 categories. U.S. News then created profiles for each diet. According to the publication:
“Each profile explains how the diet works, determines whether its claims are realistic, scrutinizes it for possible health risks and reveals what it’s like to live on the diet.”
The experts looked at six new diets this year:
- Dukan Diet
- Herbalife Nutrition
- HMR Program
- Profile Plan
- Plantstrong
- Vegan Diet
The Vegan Diet was ranked third in the Best Plant-Based Diets category and the HMR Program Diet was ranked third in Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets.
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