Exercise is important, but when it comes to staying healthy, it’s hard to beat the results of a good diet. Dieting is almost always the best way to shed pounds, according to the Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare.
As Piedmont Newnan’s health and fitness manager Colleen Alrutz put it, “You can always outeat your exercise.”
The benefits don’t stop with weight loss, however. A good diet can add up to 10 years to your life, according to a 2023 study out of the United Kingdom. But choosing a diet is not always easy, as trends come and go at a rapid pace.
U.S. News & World Report, a news outlet that has been reporting on nutrition trends for 14 years, has ranked the top ones for 2024 and offered some guidance on which one might be right for you.
“If your goal is to manage your weight long term and eat healthfully, try one of these science-backed diets that work,” the outlet reported. “Each earns top marks from our panel of leading medical and nutrition experts, specializing in diabetes, heart health and weight loss. Our panelists evaluated each diet plan for nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based effectiveness. They also considered each diet’s strengths and weaknesses and the specific goals each diet might be most effective at addressing.”
Mediterranean diet
The champion this year was the Mediterranean diet, which earned high marks for heart, bone and joint health. It’s also diabetes friendly.
“It is one of the most well-researched diets that has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve brain and mental health and decrease inflammation,” the outlet said. “Because the Mediterranean diet is nonrestrictive, many people find it easy to follow, sustainable for the long term and adaptable to any cuisine or lifestyle.”
It’s mostly made of plant-based foods: whole grains, beans, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil. Meat eaters still have some options though; poultry and seafood are on the menu.
DASH diet
Coming in second place, the DASH — or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — diet is National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute approved for its role in helping to prevent high blood pressure.
“This style of eating isn’t telling you that you have to eliminate food groups, but instead gives you guidelines on how many servings per week you should ideally consume,” Lindsey Pine, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told U.S. News. “(It’s) more than just an eating pattern to reduce blood pressure and offers so many additional whole-body health benefits, similar to the Mediterranean diet.”
This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy, while limiting foods high in added sugars or saturated fats. There is also a hard cap on daily sodium (2,300 milligrams).
MIND diet
As the name implies, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet — also known as MIND — combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets for brain-boosting effect. Its cognitive health benefits are what landed it the third spot on the list, but it’s more relaxed approach may be a bonus to some eaters.
“The MIND diet is actually a ‘nondiet’ approach,” dietitian Jennifer Ventrelle, MS, RDN, told the outlet. “Rather than a strict set of rules about what is or is not ‘on the diet,’ the goal is to form overall healthy eating habits within a set of guidelines. The MIND diet recommendations are meant to be specific enough to stay true to its research-based foundation, but also general enough to allow followers to integrate some new habits into an existing lifestyle.”
Mayo Clinic diet
Finishing out the top four, the Mayo Clinic diet uses the nonprofit medical center’s unique food pyramid, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
“The fundamental premises behind the diet have not changed, nor should they, as we believe the rationale and evidence supporting it are solid,” Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and editor of the “The Mayo Clinic Diet,” told U.S. News. He explained that “the changes have to do with how the Mayo Clinic diet is delivered to and used by participants. We have a new online program with interactive features designed to help people use the dietary program more effectively.”
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