Mediterranean Diet evaluated best by experts for 2021 in new rating

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2021-01-06T14:14:23+05:30 | Updated On 6 Jan 2021 2:14 PM IST

USA:The U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking has named the Mediterranean diet as the best overall diet for 2021 for the fourth year in the row.The dietary habits 9 of the Mediterranean region was chosen as it is easy to follow, evidence-based, and nutritionally balanced.

There is no certain diet plan for the Mediterranean diet and it focuses on the consumption of whole foods mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, olive oil, herbs and whole grains.

According to the report, Mediterranean Diet is the best diet for 2021 for losing weight and improving overall health. The Mediterranean Diet was followed by DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet (#2) and the Flexitarian diet (a mostly vegetarian diet) (tied for #2) in the list of best diet overall for 2021.

The other diets that made entry into the list included WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Diet (#4), the Mayo Clinic Diet (#5), the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) Diet (tied for #5), the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyles Changes) Diet (created by the National Institute of Health's National Cholesterol Education Program; tied for #5), and the Volumetrics Diet (food is divided into categories based on energy density; tied for #5).

An expert panel consisting of Louis Aronne, Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill-Cornell Medical College, and colleagues evaluated and ranked 39 diets. To be top-rated, a diet had to be safe, relatively easy to follow, nutritious and effective for weight loss. It also had to be stellar at preventing diabetes and heart disease.

Diets that made the bottom of the list included the Modified Keto Diet (a less drastic version of the Keto Diet; #35), the Whole30 Diet (#35), the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet (a complicated elimination diet; #37), the Keto Diet (#37), and the Dukan Diet (#39), which the experts thought was too restrictive, difficult to follow, and unlikely to result in long-term success.

For diabetes prevention and management, the Flexitarian Diet (tied for #1), the Mediterranean Diet (tied for #1), the DASH Diet (tied for #3), the Mayo Clinic Diet (tied for #3), and the Vegan Diet (tied for #3) were at the top of the list, while the DASH Diet (tied for #1), the Mediterranean Diet (tied for #1) and the Ornish Diet (#1) were voted best heart-healthy diets.

For losing weight faster, the experts chose the HMR (Health Maintenance Resources) Program (delivered meal replacement; #1), the Atkins Diet (tied for #2), and the WW Diet (tied for #2).

Reference: U.S. News' 39 Best Diets Overall

Mediterranean DietOBESITYDIABETESFlexitarian dietDASHweight lossdiet

Source : US News and World Report

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751