An expert panel assessed 41 diets to come up with their final results, examining the evidence behind each diet’s claims, the short-term and long-term weight loss associated with the diet, how easy the diet is to follow, how well each diet conforms to current nutrition standards, and its effect on diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention.
Diets that rounded out the top 5 spots included the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet (#2), the Flexitarian diet (a mostly vegetarian diet; #3), the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet (tied for #4), and the Weight Watchers diet (tied for #4).
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The popular Keto diet, which focuses on strict carbohydrate limitations and high-fat intake, was ranked at #38, with some experts noting that it could lead to nutritional imbalances and may require medical supervision. Other diets that made the bottom of the list included Whole30 diet (tied for #38), the Body Reset diet (#40), and the Dukan diet (#41), which the experts thought was too restrictive and was not backed by any efficacy evidence.
As for diabetes prevention and management, the Mediterranean diet (#1), DASH diet (tied for #2), Flexitarian diet (tied for #2), Mayo Clinic diet (tied for #2), and Volumetrics (tied for #2) were at the top of the list, while the Mediterranean diet (tied for #1), Ornish diet (tied for #1), and DASH diet (#3) were voted best heart-healthy diets.