Mediterranean diet ranked best fourth year in a row

Fortunately, US News and World Report has assembled a panel of experts to rank 39 common diets and name the best for 2021. The winner? The Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row, CNN reported.

“It is generally accepted that people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less from cancer and cardiovascular disease than most Americans,” US News and World Report explained. “The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat, and high in produce, nuts and other healthy foods.

Several previous studies have shown the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. (Although the cuisines of the various Mediterranean countries differ considerably, they emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and olive oil, seafood, poultry and vegetables. dairy products being consumed in moderation.) Studies have found that following this diet may reduce the risk of health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, memory loss and breast cancer, according to CNN. A 2018 study even found that diet may reduce the risk of mortality from exposure to certain types of air pollution.

But that’s not the only diet recommended by the experts at US News. The DASH diet (diet approaches to stop hypertension) and the flexitarian diet are tied for second place in the ranking.

Brooklyn dietician Maya Feller said TODAY that the top three diets have common benefits, NBC News reported. They focus on overall health rather than weight loss and are easy to follow because they encourage eating groups of beneficial foods rather than restricting certain foods.

“These eating patterns are really reasonable, aren’t they? They’re sustainable. They’re customizable. They allow for flexibility. They allow religious and cultural variation,” Feller said. “For the average person trying to impact their metabolic health, there will likely be great clinical results.”

Plus, it’s possible to keep up with all three without breaking the bank during a time of financial hardship.

“The number of food insecure people has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic,” Feller added. “We’re going to have to think about accessibility. If you can get dried beans and if you have dried beans, you can make a million dishes and that’s one of those three eating habits.”

US News and World Report’s annual diet ranking is selected by nutrition and health experts based on scientific studies.

“We have assembled a panel of 24 experts who live and breathe diet, weight loss and obesity,” said Angela Haupt, the magazine’s editor at CNN. “They rate each diet on a number of different measures: how easy it is to follow, how likely it is to cause long-term weight loss, how healthy and safe it is, and how effective it is in preventing or managing chronic disease. diabetes and heart disease. “

The rankings also include lists tailored to more specific dietary needs, including “Best Weight-loss Diets” (winner: the flexitarian diet), “Best Fast-Weight-Loss Diets” (winner: the HMR program) and “Best Plant. -Based Diets (winner: the Mediterranean diet, again).

The latest diets were the High Fat Low Carb Keto Diet and the Protein Dukan Diet, which experts said were too restrictive.