The 5 top best diets for health according to a panel of experts
The magazine U.S. News & World Report published its traditional annual ranking of the best diets which is widely covered by the American media.
The ranking is based on evaluations of recognized experts, mostly university researchers, who have evaluated 41 of the most popular diets according to 7 categories of criteria.
The Mediterranean diet comes first in all categories. The review also places it first in several categories: best diet for healthy eating, best vegetarian diet, best diet for diabetes, and easiest diet to follow.
The same regimes as in 2021 are in the top 5 (some positions are interchanged compared to 2020)
Five best diets for overall health:
- The Mediterranean diet;
- The DASH diet (“Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”);
- The flexitarian diet (mainly vegetarian and occasional meat consumption);
- The MIND diet (hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, designed to preserve brain health);
- The Weight Watchers Diet.
The 4th and 5th positions are occupied equally between the two regimes.
These diets have in common that they use minimally processed foods and focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, Sharon Bergquist of Emory University in Atlanta told CNN. was not part of the expert panel.
“These minimally processed plant-based foods have very profound effects on our health,” she explains. “They reduce inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, balance gut bacteria and tackle the root causes of disease,” she adds.
Lisa Drayer, a contributing professional dietitian with CNN, adds that they have one more important thing in common: they allow for the occasional indulgence. “Whether it’s a glass of red wine in the Mediterranean Diet or a piece of cake in Weight Watchers, it allows people to plan a treat,” Drayer said.
Worst diets for health
The lowest ranked diets were the Dukan, Body Reset, Whole30, and the popular keto (ketogenic) diet, all of which focus on foods high in protein or fat with minimal carbs.
“These are diets that have few substantiated claims, are extremely restrictive, are difficult to follow, and eliminate whole food groups, which is not really something that is scientifically proven,” says Sharon Bergquist. .
Best diet for weight loss
When it comes to weight loss diets, the popular Weight Watchers diet leads the way.
For this category, the expert panel looked at short and long term weight loss success, weighing both equally.
Weight Watchers uses a points-based system. It gives very low or zero points to fruits and vegetables, says Ms Bergquist, noting that he has recently started giving no points to plant sources of protein like beans, lentils and tofu.
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