The Mediterranean Diet Named Best Diet of 2023

CNN
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A pile of gold medals. Mediterranean-style diet earned him the title of best all-around diet for the sixth year in a row, according to a 2023 assessment. US News & World Report announced TuesdayDiet from the sunny Mediterranean also ranked first in the Best Diets for Healthy Eating and Best Plant-Based Diets categories.

Two new categories added in 2023 link the Mediterranean to lower cholesterol TLC (therapeutic lifestyle change)) and the flexitarian diet are the best family-friendly diets, DASH (diet therapy to stop high blood pressure)) for the best bone and joint health diet.

“We’re always looking for health conditions that we can address, but often we don’t have enough scientific data to look at diet X and condition X,” said managing editor of health at US News & World Report. As one Gretel Schueller said: Annual diet ranking.

“But bone and joint health is an area with a significant amount of scientific literature,” says Schueller. “We also recognize that the population is aging, so focusing on diets that improve the quality of life of older people is an important factor.”

Also new this year is that only 24 diets were ranked, rather than about 40 diets analyzed over the past few years. Five of his diets from the original list—vegetarian, vegan, Nordic, traditional Asian, and glycemic index—were integrated by the judges into Mediterranean and other diets due to their underlying plant-based principles. rice field.

“The key message here is the realization that the Mediterranean diet is not really just food around the Mediterranean,” said Schuler. It can be applied to any dish.”

That approach is reflected in two new meals. the key to When Pretty Kin — Schuler said it was added to the 2023 review. (Yes, Keyto with a Y.)

“We recognize that more and more people are on a plant-forward or plant-based diet, or at least trying to do so,” she said. Considered to be a flexible, low-carb Mediterranean plan.

“Pritikin’s diet is fairly flexible, with an emphasis on eating low-fat, high-fiber whole foods,” she added. , I think this is great.”

Numerous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of: Diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, dementia, amnesia, depression When breast cancerA meal that is closer to a dietary style rather than a dietary restriction, stronger bones, a healthier heart When Long life.

The diet features simple plant-based fare, with the majority of each meal focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with some nuts and extra virgin olive oil. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely, if ever, consumed, and sugar and refined foods are reserved for special occasions.

Red meat is used sparingly and usually only for flavoring dishes. Eating healthy, fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids is encouraged, but eggs, dairy products and poultry are eaten in much smaller amounts than in the traditional Western diet.

Social interaction during meals and exercise is a fundamental cornerstone of a Mediterranean-style diet. Lifestyle changes that are part of your diet include eating with friends and family, socializing at meals, mindful eating of your favorite foods, and mindful movement and exercise.

Just like in 2022, DASH and the Flexitarian diet came in second for best overall diet. Similar to Mediterranean-style diets, these diets reduce or eliminate processed foods and stress over packing your plates with fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

The DASH diet emphasizes limiting salt intake to lower blood pressure. flexitarian dietas the name suggests, allows you to occasionally enjoy meat and poultry.

a A panel of 33 experts We looked at the top meals and ranked them in several categories. Did the diet include all food groups? Was it evidence-based? You need food that is available in any supermarket. How easy was the meal preparation and did you use additional vitamins and supplements?

“We were more focused on quality than quantity,” says Schueller. “Our reviewers felt there were some wacky diets not worth your time, such as the Dukan diet, which we no longer rank.”

worst diet award raw food diet This year, at least in part, was due to lack of nutritional integrity, raising safety concerns among reviewers. Or you can eat only unprocessed foods that have not been exposed to pesticides or herbicides, so reviews consider this diet almost impossible to follow.

The Popular keto dietalong with modified keto, ranked 20th out of 24 diets, followed by Atkins, slim fast When OptaviaThese diets, which focus on eating high-protein or high-fat foods with minimal carbs, are highly restrictive, difficult to follow, and eliminate entire food groups, so ranking becomes lower.

Despite keto’s low overall rating, reviewers ranked the keto diet as the number one best short-term weight loss diet, Schuler said, and these diets are not considered a healthy lifestyle. He quickly added that he did not.

“These are meals for people who have a wedding or other event they want to go to in the next few months,” she said. is not.

In the category of the best (long-term) weight loss diets, WW (previously called Weight Watchers) DASH and TLC tied for 2nd for 1st place. WW also won top honors for Best (Commercial) Diet Program. Nom When Jenny Craig.

Flexitarian and TLC shared gold in the easiest diet category, with Mediterranean and DASH diets coming in third.

The DASH diet took top honors as the best diet for heart health and diabetics, followed by the Mediterranean, Flexitarian and Ornish diets. ornish diet It was created in 1977 by Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the California Institute of Nonprofit Preventive Medicine.

The Ornish diet is combined with stress management techniques, exercise, social support, and smoking cessation, according to Ornish: Scientifically proven program to cure heart disease without drugs or surgery

Make Mediterranean-style dining one of your goals this year? Sign up for CNN Eat Better: A Mediterranean Style Newsletteran eight-part series where experts help you develop a healthy, delicious eating lifestyle.