(Jessica Migala/ Everyday Health) — It’s the beginning of January, aka diet season, and the rankings are in: U.S. News & World Report just released its top diets for 2024. The winner? (Drumroll, please.) Out of 30 diets, the Mediterranean diet is No. 1 for the seventh year in a row. Meanwhile, other popular diets, including the ketogenic diet (“keto”) and Atkins, landed toward the bottom of the Best Diets Overall list, at Nos. 25 and 26, respectively.
As in previous years, in 2024 the Mediterranean diet beat out the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on the overall list. (In 2018, the two tied for the top slot.) Here’s why the panel of nutritionists, dietary consultants, and physicians awarded the Mediterranean diet highest honors: It wins for its health benefits. Indeed, the Mediterranean diet won in other categories, too, including Best Diets for Diabetes, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family-Friendly Diets, and Best Diets for Healthy Eating.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and some lean meat and fish. Similarly, the second-place DASH diet is a plan designed to lower blood pressure, and it incorporates vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy along with whole grains, lean meats, and nuts. It also sticks to sodium guidelines in an effort to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure), though you can certainly still benefit from this eating style if you have normal blood pressure. (…)