Dash Diet named best overall Diet
The panel, formed as part of an assessment by U.S. News and World Report of the 20 most popular diets, critiqued each program for its effectiveness, ease of compliance, nutritional smarts, and overall health risk. In the “Best Diets Overall” category, the Dash came in first, with three tying for second: the Mediterranean Diet, the TLC Diet and Weight Watchers.
You’ve often heard me praise the merits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in dairy and meat — exactly what Dash (which stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) promotes. According to WebMD, a group of patients who followed this plan reduced their blood pressure within two weeks. Another study found that it also boosted mental activity by an incredible 30% in overweight adults.
“This study has significant implications for slowing down or even reversing age-related cognitive deficits, which may even have greater impact among people vulnerable to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease,” James Blumenthal, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., said in a news release.
The book “The Dash Diet Action Plan” is currently number one across a number of food and health-related categories on Amazon. “Although the actual diet suggestions are complex, the book is straight forward and helpful,” wrote one reviewer. “It does become clear that if people ate this way they would have many less health concerns including help with their blood pressure.”
For those purely seeking to lose weight, U.S. News and World Report found the commercial Weight Watchers program to be the best, with a tie for second coming between Jenny Craig and, in what’s a big boost for its supporters, the Raw Food Diet.
Fans of the vegan scene will be happy to know that their diet scored a three-way tie for second in the “Best Diabetes Diets” category. Full rankings in each category are available at the official site here.