A new comparison of popular diet plans has just been released by U.S. News & World Report. The plans were evaluated by a panel of experts, whose conclusions reasonably reflect our current scientific understanding of optimal human nutrition – including some gaps and open hypotheses that scientists have yet to resolve. Without singling out specific plans here, the panel concluded that programs emphasizing high vegetable and fruit consumption, moderation of processed carbohydrates and fats generally, and consistent interpersonal support during plan adoption were the most effective (in categories that included short and long-term weight optimization, cardiovascular health, and diabetes prevention). Notably, natural diets like HumanaNatura’s that follow these guidelines but further limit cooked grains, starches, and legumes were ranked lower due to the current lack of adequate long-term data on this approach. On the other hand, diets that recommend greatly limited carbohydrate consumption and calorie replacement via extra protein and fat intake were ranked lowest, based on growing data suggesting both long-term cardiovascular injury and weight instability from this approach. Learn more about the rankings at Diets Ranked or see a full summary of the panel’s conclusions at Best Diets.
