On Wednesday, US News & World Report released its annual list of best diets, as ranked by a panel of experts.
The Mediterranean diet claimed the top spot, while the DASH Diet — designed to fight high blood pressure — was second.
The other top diets included The MIND Diet, Weight Watchers, the Mayo Clinic Diet, Volumetrics, the TLC Diet, the Nordic Diet, the Ornish Diet, the Fertility Diet, Jenny Craig, and vegetarianism.
Second from last overall was the Keto Diet. It was rated the worse overall for healthy eating and the only positive was that it was good for weight loss.
Written by
MichaelJH
Heart Star
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
Thanks for the link autumnsonnet...interesting reading.I'm on a mainly plant based diet with some fish and low fat dairy which would seem to be pretty healthy overall.I have a friend who went on the NHS diet for pre-diabetes so higher fats and lower carbs.She still has diabetes but she no longer needs her bp meds and her cholesterol is significantly down which she found both interesting and a bit frustrating.😏
That's funny.Only yesterday I heard that the NHS was going to roll out it's diet programme more widely as it had been so successful...weight loss was mentioned but it seems other diets are more effective for diabetes.
The NHS programme for pre-diabetes focusses on achieving weight loss, and the commercial providers offer a number of weight loss diets.
On the above list the low carb diet ranked well in the category ' fast weight loss' but poorly in the categories for healthy eating for diabetes and heart health. So not a good diet for long term health.
The 25 nationally recognised experts were appointed by USNews, who presumably paid them for their time. Many were university professors who will have been up to date in academic dietary research.
When I was diagnosed pre-diabetic a few months ago I was started on statins and BP medication and advised to lose weight. As Type II carries an increased risk of heart disease I joined this forum and a few others. Having looked at various diets I took up a limited carbohydrate version of the Mediterranean diet. So far I have lost lost over two stone and my numbers are improving. I am hoping by my next check up that my BMI will be in the normal range and I will no longer be pre-diabetic. Other diets recommended included an 800 calorie one and the Keto one. The problem with these more extreme ones is that weight loss and Type II remission often seem temporary with weight being regained.
I think people who don't like the result of this research will just ignore it, query who carried it out, etc. Roll up BigDiet conspiracy theories!
I, like you, am on a low carb diet. I don't weigh myself, just go by how my clothes feel and am now 2 sizes smaller and feel better than I have for years. Even the NHS website now acknowledges that BMI is not always reliable, particularly if you have muscle, Your waist should apparently measure half your height as belly fat is the most damaging - I'm nearly there. I eat fresh veg/meat/dairy and some fruit/nuts. I sometimes succumb to the crappy ready meals and immediately regret it! How on earth have 'meals' like weight watchers and Jenny Craig been put on this list! They obviously haven't read the ingredients on the packs.
You have to distinguish between weight loss diets and diets for health. Diets can score well in the first category but low in the second and therefore be poor long-term choices.
I think that's where confusion lies as we tend to use the term 'diet' to mean weight loss as well as a defined eating plan. I'm not on a diet but have changed my eating plan. I've never had a sweet tooth so not a problem there, but cutting out 'convenience' foods I found difficult to begin with. Now mainly fresh, unprocessed food. Weight loss has been a positive side effect of this.
I'm a fan of cooking - so many easy fast well-balanced meals out there that don't take any longer than cooking a 'ready meal' and are nicer and cheaper.
I have LBBB and a high cholesterol of 8.4, nearly all of which is ldl. I also have hyperparathyroidism which makes it hard to loose weight. I have tried the two major slimming clubs but have reached a plateau. I am in the early stages of the lower carbs, 800 calorie way of eating and have shifted 5lbs in 3 weeks. I need to reduce weight and have now eliminated sugar and sweeteners from my diet. I have been referred to a lipid disorders clinic and am wondering what they will advise regarding reduced fat yoghurt, for example, which is normally full of sweetener compaired to authentic greek yoghurt which is full fat. I find foods confusing and just want to get to grips with what is best for overall health and how to loose 2 stones in weight.
Low fat natural yoghurt doesn't normally have sweetener.
It's the flavoured yoghurts that often have added sweetener.
I've never needed to lose weight but my sister swears by a normal healthy Mediterranean diet, while cutting the obviously 'bad ' food ( i.e cakes biscuits crisps etc - and I don't include wholemeal pasta in that category!), no snacking, portion control and walking.
It won't sell a diet book but seems sensible to me.
Are you being treated for the hyperparathyroidism. One of its symptoms are raised blood calcium levels leading to CVD (cardio vascular disease), and kidney and gall stones.
I am no expert but thought the weight issue was linked to hypothyroidism?
It maybe that you should be referred to aa hospital dietician to work with the lipid and thyroid people.
I have blood tests for calcium and parathyroid hormone levels every 6 months. I see an Endocronoligist. In 2013 I had the centre section of my thyroid removed due to a benign lump. Ordinary thyroid levels are ok but post op they realised my parathyroids are causing a mild increase in calcium levels. I have been reluctant to have another operation on my neck as the last one was very unpleasant. Hyperparathyroidism causes a multitude of problems. So far my symptoms are fairly mild in comparison to ones other sufferers experience. Dexa scans show ostopenia so I am seriously wondering if I should brave the surgery. Losing weight seems to be a common problem with this condition. I am 2 stones overweight and I think this might be a contributory factor to my cholesterol level. I have tried 3 statins but had severe muscle pain so am now on 10mg of Rosuvstatin with a view to increasing the dose in the near future. I have an appointment at a lipid disorders clinic at the end of February.
That’s good to know, thanks for posting the info Michael
I find it a little bit strange that apart from fortepiano no one seems to have mentioned meaningful exercise to burn off calories. Curiously genuine Greek yoghurt does not contain lactose(sugar) because of the way it is made. If you look at most commercial 'Greek' yoghurts they tend to contain a fair amount of sugar.
I've just looked at Waitrose's various greek yoghurts made in Greece and elsewhere : none of them contain added sugar but the milk obviously contains natural sugars and there's nothing wrong with that.
There's a world of difference between that and added sweeteners.
I only mentioned exercise to a poster talking about weight loss - the article Michael linked to is about healthy diets generally with a subsection on diet for weight loss , diabetes, heart etc.
That is not the case. But we must not digress from the topic too far. Yes plain yoghurt is a good choice for ordinary diets, but it still contains sugar in the form of lactose.
I think diet and exercise are both vital. We call it the Mediterranean diet, but really it’s just stop eating crap and replace with decent fresh food.
There’s no ‘secret’ perfect diet - eat less, move more - forever. The Mediterranean diet aligns more closely with a more ‘natural’ food basis.
To raise your metabolism, increase muscle mass and give your heart the workout it needs you have to get moving. 20 mins into cardio exercise you actually start burning fat reserves. We’re moving towards a bit brighter weather and longer days - get out there people! It’s lovely. The last 4 days I’ve been out raking 677743578952125677896444 leaves - we have a big garden, with a huge apple tree and oak tree at the bottom. Nice way to build up a sweat and blow the December cobwebs away!
Overweight Britons did not become overweight by following the Mediterranean or Dash diets ( rated most healthy and also best for Diabetes) or the eminently sensible Eatwell guide, which the NHS Diabetes prevention programme and its three instigators, Diabetes UK, the NHS, and Public Health England, all endorse.
The Eatwell guide is also endorsed by BHF, and is completely compatible with the Mediterranean diet.
All recommend wholegrain carbohydrates and low saturated fat with plenty of fruit and vegetables and reducing added sugar.
Sorry, I'm not going to waste my time with you and your LCHF ICS PHC propaganda. You constantly refer to them and link to them, so you know who they are! There are posters on here with real problems, not just people like you who have only joined to spout LCHF.
Just to point out to readers that the experts of the original post completely disagree with you and do not recommend a low carb diet for anything other than temporary weight loss. It is not a healthy long term diet any more than an 800 calorie weight loss diet is.
I recommend anyone reading this to go to the BHF site for reputable and reliable information on a healthy diet.
And no one is having a dig at the Mediterranean diet.But your hell bent on taking a dig at people on LCHF
That's there choice to make after there own research. Everyone is different and it's a confusing world out there when it comes to what we should eat for our health.
I eat Mediterranean but know many many people on keto or low carb that have turned there diabetic status around and have sustained the diet and are healthier than ever before.
I agree with you fortepiano. This is a British Heart Foundation forum, and the BHF recommends a Mediterranean diet and not any other diet. I for one, have never had cardiologist, cardiac nurse, consultant or any other cardiac professional tell me to try any other diet. So I do feel it’s fundamentally wrong for some people on this BHF forum to try and confuse people to thinking any other diets are the way to go. Yes, by all means on other generic diet forums etc, but not on a forum that is run by the BHF. Furthermore, I really do feel it’s time for the heart stars & admin to put a stop to all this nonsense.
Last year the editors of 80 cardiology journals joined to write an editorial on the spread of misinformation on social media, asking for the platforms to do more to combat it. However, the BHF admin do nothing - and people consequently sadly do become confused or think it's all a matter of opinions rather than scientific consensus.
There are diet forums on healthunlocked where people can argue about diets to their heart's content, but the BHF forum should be a source of reliable information.
The BHF admin could do a lot more in permanently excluding persistent offenders and also taking down posts and links. All this nonsense remains up on google.
Could the heart stars suggest one of the rules of the BHF forum be that posts should not give advice that goes against the BHF's own advice - and that the admin should enforce it!
BHF nurses could also have a standard response giving BHF advice on diet linking to the BHF site which they could post whenever these subjects come up.
Personally I never want to see another diet post! You are right about the parapet!
The Heartstars have indeed already made your very suggestion below.
'Could the heart stars suggest one of the rules of the BHF forum be that posts should not give advice that goes against the BHF's own advice - and that the admin should enforce it!'
Perhaps everyone who agrees with your comment above should contact Admin?
I have very high triglycerides , it seems the chocolate coping mechanism is not working. More beetroot and brocolli then I suppose.. and gin to drown in the mess I am in.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Keto vs Western Diet 
Heart healthy diet?
A comment on the diet debate 
