The best diets are ranked by doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians for U. S. News and World Report(1) annually. There are many factors that go into the ranking like its heart and diabetes ratings, weight-loss potential, ease of following, and best plant-based diets. These different ratings are combined to afford its overall rating.
One of the first things you notice reviewing the list is how the trendy diets are near the bottom. Here is a list of the top and bottom five diets:
The Worst:
The Fast Diet--weak on dietary guidance when not fasting
Atkins--good for weight loss, not for nutrition or heart health
Raw food--3rd for weight loss, but too hard to follow
Dukan--not proven with a ton of rules
Paleo--not proven and ignores certain food groups, hard to follow
The Best:
DASH diet - (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)This started out to lower blood pressure but ranks high due to its safety, nutritional completeness, and prevention of diabetes and blood pressure.
TLC diet - (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) was created by the National Institutes of Health. Its described as a complete diet and is especially heart-healthy. It's a do-it-yourself diet, so you just get organized with meal planning.
Mayo Clinic - Developed at the clinic to make healthy eating a lifestyle. It has great nutritional balance and safety, but not necessarily as a weight loss diet.
Mediterranean Diet - This diet is heavy in veggies and fruits, olive oil, fish, nuts, and grains. It's a longevity diet, but not necessarily for weight loss.
Weight Watchers - The only commercial diet on the top 5. It's a nutritionally sound diet that's easy to follow and has group support to encourage weight loss.
I found it interesting that cancer prevention wasn't included as part of the ranking criteria considering it's the second cause of death in the U.S.(heart disease is first). A plant-based diet is good for cancer prevention as many of these are, but you may want a more specific diet. For example, we know that onions, mushrooms, and cruciferous vegetables provide more cancer protection than other veggies. So, adopting a diet specific to cancer is better than a generally good diet.
After examining the details of these diets, I find the DASH and the Mediterranean diets to be similar with their heavy emphasis on whole grains and veggies. I personally follow the Mediterranean diet because I have a cerebrovascular(stroke) history in my ancestry and I like the freedom it provides. I encourage you to choose a diet based on your genetic predispositions as well. So, take a little time to find out your family medical history to help determine your direction. Make your diet specific to your genes.
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