The Mediterranean diet has the best ranking in the fourth consecutive year

Luckily, US News and World Report brought together a panel of experts to rank 39 regular 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 in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular disease,” the 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 fats and high in products, nuts and other healthy foods.”

Several previous studies have shown the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. (Although the cuisines of several Mediterranean countries differ considerably, they share an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and olive oil, with seafood, poultry and dairy consumed in moderation.) Studies have shown that following this Diet can 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 can reduce the risk of mortality from exposure to certain types of air pollution.

But it’s not the only food plan recommended by US News experts. Linked to second place in the ranking were the DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) and the flexor diet.

Brooklyn dietitian Maya Feller said TODAY that the three main diets share common benefits, NBC News reported. They emphasize overall health over weight loss and are easy to follow, as they encourage you to eat beneficial food groups rather than restricting certain foods.

“These eating patterns are really reasonable, right? They’re sustainable. They’re customizable. They allow for flexibility. They allow for religious and cultural variations,” Feller said. “For the average person trying to impact their metabolic health, there will probably be great clinical outcomes.”

In addition, it is possible to follow all three without breaking the bank during a difficult economic time.

“The number of people experiencing food insecurity has increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic,” Feller added. “We’ll 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 falls into those three eating patterns.”

The US Diet and World Report’s annual diet ranking is selected by nutrition and health experts according to scientific studies.

“We’ve convened a group of 24 experts who live and breathe diet, weight loss and obesity,” Angela Haupt, the magazine’s director, told CNN. “They rate each diet in several measures: its ease of follow-up, its likelihood of leading to long-term weight loss, its health and safety, and its effectiveness in preventing or managing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease “.

The rankings also include lists tailored to more specific dietary needs, including the “Best Diets to Lose Weight” (winner: the flexural diet), “The Best Diets to Lose Weight Fast” (winner: the HMR program) and ” best vegetable bases “Diets (winner: the Mediterranean diet, again).

Last on the list of the general diet were the high-fat, low-carbohydrate Keto diet and the protein-based Dukan diet, which experts say were too restrictive.