Best diets of 2024 according to experts

You’re one drizzle of olive oil away from better health.

The U.S. News & World Report has revealed the best diets and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mediterranean diet took the No. 1 spot for the best diet overall for the seventh year in a row.

The Mediterranean diet — which involves eating plant-based foods, grains and lean poultry along with healthy doses of extra-virgin olive oil — took the top spot in seven of the 11 diet categories, the media company announced Wednesday.

Along with being the best diet overall, it was also top dog in best diabetes diets, best heart-healthy diets, the easiest diets to follow, best diets for bone and joint health, best family-friendly diets and best diets for healthy eating.

The Med diet is derived from the traditional diets of 21 countries that border the Mediterranean Sea — where fresh greens, fruits, fish, nuts and olives abound.

While it doesn’t focus on a specific nutrient or food group, the Med diet instead stresses the importance of focusing on quality and filling your plate with a wide range of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, seafood, olive oil and whole grains.

For its annual Best Diets rankings, the U.S. News & World Report, in partnership with the Harris Poll, sought out guidance from 43 expert panelists — including medical doctors, registered dietitian nutritionists, nutritional epidemiologists and academic weight loss researchers — to compile the rankings.

The experts examined 30 diets, including six additional diets since last year’s rankings. The newly evaluated diets include the vegan diet, Dukan diet, Herbalife Nutrition, HMR program, Profile Diet Plan and Plantstrong.

The DASH diet — which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension — was ranked as the second-best diet overall. The diet focuses on eating foods high in blood pressure-lowering nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber.

In third place overall is the MIND diet, which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It takes two proven diets — Mediterranean and DASH — and emphasizes a focus on foods that improve brain health to potentially lower the risk of mental decline.

Top 10 best diets overall for 2024

1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. MIND diet
4. Mayo Clinic diet
5. Flexitarian diet
6. WeightWatchers diet
7. Volumetrics diet
8. Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory diet
9. TLC diet
10. Vegan diet

As for the best weight loss diets, WeightWatchers came in first followed by the Med diet and Volumetrics diet. WW also ranked No. 1 for best diet programs, with Mayo Clinic and Noom coming in second and third, respectively. The top three fast weight loss diets are keto, Atkins and the HMR program.

The best diets for healthy eating and easiest diets to follow categories have the same top three: Mediterranean diet as No. 1, followed by Flexitarian then DASH.

“Choosing a diet can be tough. Each person has unique health considerations and goals, and there are many diets out there to choose from — and it’s hard to know which ones will actually work best for you,” Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health at U.S. News, said in a press release.

“That’s why U.S. News does the legwork for its users, gathering input from nationally recognized medical and nutrition experts to determine which diets rise to the top for nutritional completeness, ease of following and promoting a healthy lifestyle for the long term.”

A recent study found that the Mediterranean diet may help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder via the gut microbiome.

Other recent studies showed that those who stick to the diet may reduce their odds of premature death by 29%, while women alone have shown a nearly 25% lower chance of heart disease and early death.

An earlier study from Harvard University said the Mediterranean diet was one of four common healthy eating patterns that can help reduce the risk of early death by up to 20%.

Best weight loss diets

1. WeightWatchers diet

2. Mediterranean diet

3. Volumetrics diet

Best fast weight loss diets

1. Keto diet

2. Atkins diet

3. HMR program

Best diabetes diets

1. Mediterranean diet

2. DASH diet

3. Flexitarian diet

Best diets for bone and joint health

1. Mediterranean diet

2. DASH diet

3. Flexitarian diet

Best diets for healthy eating

1. Mediterranean diet

2. Flexitarian diet

3. DASH diet

Best diet programs

1. WeightWatchers diet

2. Mayo Clinic diet

3. Noom diet

Best family-friendly diets

1. Mediterranean diet

2. Flexitarian diet

3. DASH diet

Best heart-healthy diets

1. Mediterranean diet

2. DASH diet

3. Ornish diet

Best plant-based diets

1. Flexitarian diet

2. Mediterranean diet

3. Vegan diet

Easiest diets to follow

1. Mediterranean diet

2. Flexitarian diet

3. DASH diet