Experts named the best diet for 2024

Science-backed style of eating can be the best choice for your health this year

With the beginning of the New Year, many start new plans and habits. Most of them are related to bettering your health and changing bad habits when it comes to addiction or weight. Some try to lose weight or change their eating habits; others try to put on weight healthily.

It is not the easiest to change your lifestyle and habits like eating. Every year, we hear about new diets and trendy styles of eating. One year, vegetarianism is on top other year, keto is the craze that everyone is turning to.

For the seventh year in a row, experts praise the Mediterranean style of eating as one of the healthiest^[1]. Food and diet professionals call this diet the best. The Mediterranean diet is ranked first in the categories of easiest diets to follow and best family-friendly diets.

The best healthy diet for diabetes, bone, joint, and heart health

DASH diet, a dietary approach to stop hypertension, is the second best diet. The MIND diet, a Mediterranean-DASH intervention for the neurodegenerative delay, is third on this list of 30 best diets. All of these are plant-based and are mainly focused on implementing fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans into your diet.

The list was made by a committee of 43 nutritional experts. They evaluated the vegan diet for the first time, and this diet won third place in the best plant-based diets. Other diets that were newly added for this evaluation are the Dukan diet and the Herbalife Nutrition diet. The two are the 28th and 29th diets on the list.

Experts said that the world of diet and nutrition can be overwhelming and filled with misinformation. Especially when there are many inaccurate health claims out here. This is why these lists are formed, and experts rely on gathering input from nationally recognized medical and nutrition professionals^[2].

The rise to fame and popularity is not the only criterion and does not always mean that the style of eating or a certain diet is good for your health. However, experts determine which diets rise to the top for nutritional completeness, ease of following, and health benefits.

A good diet is one promoting a healthy lifestyle for the long term

Mediterranean style of eating ranked the first for a reason. It can reduce the risk of various health issues like diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, breast cancer, and other issues like mental illness. The diet is called a meal plan or eating style because this is not a restricted diet.

This style of eating is linked with benefits like stronger bones, healthier heart, and longer life. This diet is based on eating more plants and focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds. The diet also features some of the nuts and is especially emphasizing extra-virgin olive oil.

Other fats like butter are consumed rarely, and sugar or refined foods are reserved for special occasions only. Red meat is not included in this diet. It is used sparingly only to flavor a dish. Eating oily fish packed with omega-3 fatty acids is more encouraged.

While fish is the main protein in this diet, other animal products and meats like eggs, dairy, and poultry are eaten in much smaller portions. It is uncommon for people who know more about traditional Western diets. Mediterranean style of eating is not a diet and includes more things than just food. Social interactions during meals and exercise are cornerstones.

What has been ranking last?

Lifestyle changes are a part of the Mediterranean diet, and eating with friends and family, socializing, and mindfully eating your favorite food is important. Movement and exercise have a lot to add to this lifestyle. However, not everyone can be sure of such change.

Experts made the list and evaluated many diets. The last place on the list of 30 is the raw food diet. It is not the worst, but the last one on the best diet list. This diet recommends eating food that has not been cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered, or exposed to any pesticides or herbicides^[3].

These attributes might appear healthy, but the diet is overly restrictive and nutritionally unsafe for many people. Hence, experts say this is not the healthiest style of eating. Experts say that cooking some of the foods allows for more variety and boosts the intake of protein and other essential nutrients.

The safe and healthy way to enjoy certain raw foods is to eat whole foods. A plant-based diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, cooked lentils, beans, and grains could be more nutritious than a fully raw diet. Even though this diet ranked last it does not mean it is the worst choice. However, there are many better options for those who want to be healthier.