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The best diet for your health and happiness is the one that works for you. If a restrictive diet leaves you feeling deprived or is impossible to maintain, you’re more likely to fall off the bandwagon than stick with it. And while many diets are out there, they aren’t one-size-fits-all. With so many eating plans to try, how do you choose?
Dieting shouldn’t be about only losing weight, building muscle or preventing disease. A successful diet improves your health and makes you feel good while enjoying your food. Any diet should nourish the body—even those designed for weight loss.
This article gives you the top 10 diets (backed by science) for your personal health and wellness goals. Our guide will also arm you with tips for choosing the right diet and answer the most common questions about dieting. Now, on to our highest-rated diet plans.
This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.
Interested in managing your diet with an app? We recommend you check out Noom.
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With the latest research suggesting that it lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the Flexitarian diet is the best diet for overall health. It’s a semi-vegetarian, or flexible (“flex-”) vegetarian (“-itarian”), way of eating that emphasizes plant and plant-based foods, but lets you enjoy lean meats on occasion.
On this diet, you’ll eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains (the latter being an important part of any healthy diet). Flexitarians avoid certain animal products like butter, cream and lard, but allow yogurt and cheese in moderation. They also limit meat intake to nine to 28 ounces per week and choose high-quality free-range or pasture-fed products for fuel.
Research suggests that a Flexitarian Diet improves metabolism, blood pressure and inflammatory markers that increase your risk for many diseases. The Flexitarian diet is generally safe for everyone, including pregnant women, children and those over age 60.
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Emerging studies on dementia prevention led to the development of the MIND diet, now considered the best diet for brain health. It’s an eating plan focused on healthy foods that can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other brain diseases.
MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The MIND diet recommends these “brain healthy” foods to slow the decline of brain function:
These foods are rich in vitamins, carotenoids, and flavonoids that protect the brain and nervous system. In a ten-year study of older adults, those who consumed the largest amounts of these foods saw a 53 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The MIND Diet also limits the following five unhealthy foods:
Since many aspects of the MIND Diet are also part of the DASH and Mediterranean diets, it also benefits cardiovascular and metabolic health. Anyone can follow this diet for brain health. People with food allergies or intolerances can easily modify meals and stay on plan.
Mayo Clinic
Another popular diet that offers variety is our best diet for weight loss: the Mayo Clinic Diet. First developed in 1949 by medical doctors and weight loss experts, it has been updated through the years based on the newest diet and weight loss research. The Mayo Clinic Diet is different from other weight loss diets because it’s a long-term eating plan meant to create positive life-long habits.
This diet has two phases:
The Mayo Clinic offers free tools and digital resources like mobile apps to help users stick to the plan. The Mayo Clinic Diet is safe for everyone; however, if you’re not used to eating lots of fruits and vegetables, you could experience temporary stomach issues like gas, bloating or diarrhea while your body adjusts.
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With a focus on plant-based foods prepared with flavorful herbs and spices, the Mediterranean diet is the best for diabetes. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods (like beans) and healthy fats (like olive oil) that regulate blood sugars.
Also known as the “Med Diet,” it’s more of a lifestyle than a diet. It’s based on the way Europeans typically eat in Greece, Italy and islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Eating “Mediterranean” is about what and how you eat. Med Diet guidelines include:
The Mediterranean diet is flexible and easy to stick with. It doesn’t require you to measure foods or count calories, yet it still promotes weight loss. For those with Type 2 diabetes who are struggling with obesity, weight loss can reduce insulin resistance. It may even reverse the condition in 46 percent of cases. In fact, research suggests that each part of the Mediterranean Diet helps balance diabetes in some way.
This diet is generally safe for anyone, including children. It was also ranked number one by U.S. News & World Report.
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Backed by clinical studies, we’ve crowned the FODMAP diet as the best diet for gut health. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Yes, the name is a mouthful.
When you eat FODMAPs, these simple sugar molecules are not well absorbed in the small intestine. When they travel to the colon, they ferment. This process creates gas in your abdomen and may cause symptoms like cramping, pain, bloating or diarrhea. Examples of high FODMAP foods that are off-limits on this plan include:
Low FODMAP diets have been shown to reduce gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Studies suggest it can improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in up to 86 percent of cases.
There are three phases to the diet:
“The low FODMAP diet is a temporary eating plan that’s very restrictive,” says Hazel Galon Veloso, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. Since it eliminates many foods and can cause weight loss, it can be dangerous for underweight individuals, pregnant women and children.
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Developed decades ago by the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute to treat and prevent high blood pressure, the DASH Diet is still the best diet for heart health. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
The DASH Diet is an eating plan high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains and low in sodium. Along with the nutritious diet, DASH encourages at least 30 minutes of heart-healthy exercise daily, with at least two and a half hours each week of moderate-intensity activity.
It has been widely studied and has many health benefits. Following this diet may lower your risk of cardiovascular conditions, including:
The DASH diet is safe for the whole family. In fact, it’s recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association.
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Research suggests that the best diet for cholesterol control is a plant-based, vegan diet. Vegan means avoiding all animal products, including dairy and eggs. A vegan diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains. It may be easier to follow than some might think since many grocery stores now carry vegan options for yogurt, cheese and milk made from plants.
Many studies have compared vegan and omnivorous diets and their effects on cholesterol levels. In general, science shows that plant-based diets lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—or “bad cholesterol”—high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and total cholesterol levels. One of the reasons is that plants contain phytosterols, which reduce blood cholesterol. Eating around one to three grams of sterols daily can lower LDL cholesterol by six to 12 percent. Plant-based diets are also rich in antioxidants which may offer protection against heart disease.
A vegan or vegetarian diet may not be the best choice for people with kidney disease because it could cause their potassium levels to go up. Also, anyone taking blood thinners has to be careful about diets high in Vitamin K. It’s best to talk with a doctor or registered dietician before starting a vegan diet if you have any chronic diseases.
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If you’re looking to lose fat and keep muscle mass, the best diet for cutting is the Keto Diet. It’s a ketogenic, low-carb diet that gives the body plenty of fat and protein with few carbohydrates, so you lose water and fat while preserving muscle.
You’ll eat plenty of meats, poultry, fish and seafood on this diet. You’ll also have eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds and sauces. Keto dieters steer clear of starches like bread, pasta made from grains and higher carbohydrate fruits and vegetables.
Normally when you diet, your body breaks down muscle tissue for energy. However, taking in an adequate amount of protein will help protect your muscle tissue and encourage your body to use stored body fat instead. The diet also has a diuretic effect which can lead to initially rapid weight loss (up to 10 pounds in one week).
First developed in the 1920s by doctors to treat epilepsy, the keto diet has been studied for decades. It’s been repopularized thanks to Atkins plans, and millions of people have tried it. According to experts, a well-planned keto diet is considered safe for most people.
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If your number one dieting goal is to bulk up or add lean muscle mass, consider the best diet to gain muscle: the Paleo diet. It’s an eating plan based on eating only foods that would have been available during the Paleolithic Era (over 10,000 years ago). Think fish, game, fruits, nuts and plants. If your ancestors wouldn’t, or couldn’t, have eaten it, then you won’t either on this diet.
The Paleo diet eliminates processed carbs and dairy products. Instead, you’ll feel more satiated by a diet full of protein, healthy fats and veggies. These food sources also encourage muscle growth and repair to support your strength training regimen.
The Paleo way of eating is also family-friendly. Parents can create healthy and balanced meals from the diet staples for any age.
To choose the best diets for you, we cut through the claims to find diets backed by science. From published research to expert recommendations, we examined the diets in each category objectively. We’ve presented the top diets most likely to meet our readers’ individual needs and give them the nutrients needed for overall health and wellness.
Remember, there’s no single best diet out there that works for everyone. You have to find one that works for you. Before choosing a healthy diet, think about your eating habits. Then, answer these questions:
These questions can help you sort out diets that will fit your life for long-term benefits.
When looking into diet and eating plans, remember that a healthy diet should give your body the essential nutrition you need, including macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). It should also incorporate physical activities. You need to get your body moving to use that good fuel you’re taking in!
The easiest diet to follow will be one that works with your lifestyle. It will also fit your tastes, personal preferences and food sensitivities.
From our list, the simplest diet to follow may be the Flexitarian diet. It includes eating vegetables and grains for each meal and adding animal protein once or twice a week. The Mediterranean diet is also simplistic, with a wide variety of foods for all tastes and no calorie counting, tracking or measuring.
The Flexitarian and Mediterranean Diets give the best results in terms of overall health.
Whether you’re looking to make huge lifestyle changes, optimize your health or just want a taste of something new, there are lots of healthy diets out there. With the tips in this guide, you can narrow down the choices to find the diet that’s right for you.
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Sarah S. Falcone, BSN, RN, is a registered nurse, certified yoga teacher and health content writer with over 15 years of experience in healthcare. She is based in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX.This author is writing sponsored content paid for by Pillar4 and not affiliated with Sports Illustrated.
