DASH, Mediterranean ranked among best diets for heart health, BP and cholesterol control
Key takeaways:
- U.S. News & World Report released its rankings for the best diets for a heart-healthy lifestyle.
- Also ranked were the best diets for people with high blood pressure and cholesterol.
U.S. News & World Report recently released its ranking for the top heart-healthy diets as ranked by medical doctors, registered dietitians and nutritional epidemiologists.
A panel of 69 medical doctors, registered dietitians, nutritional epidemiologists, chefs and weight-loss researchers were surveyed on how they would rank 38 diets based on nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, sustainability and evidence-based effectiveness.
The panel ranked diets for heart health, as well as, for the first time, high BP and cholesterol.
Maya Vadiveloo, PhD, RD, FAHA, associate professor in the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island, chair of the American Heart Association LIFESTYLE Nutrition Committee and panelist for the U.S. News & World Report diet rankings, spoke with Healio to provide insight into these diets’ benefit on the heart, BP and cholesterol.
“The eventual ranking is based on an amalgamation of different scores. Strong differentiation between diets ranked one, two and three isn’t where I would focus,” Vadiveloo told Healio. “If you look at the American Heart Association dietary pattern statement, we say a lot of the same where there are more similarities between most of these diet patterns, especially Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean, and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), than differences. Things that they emphasize are all consistent with heart-healthy guidelines. Part of the reason for having these different patterns is to acknowledge that we all have different preferences and different things that we do and do not want to eat, and that there can be different ways, depending on your cultural preferences, your food budget, that you can meet these different guidelines in a way that reflects those preferences.”
Best diets for heart health
Heart-healthy diets are composed of whole foods high in fiber, lean protein and healthy fats, with reduced levels of sodium, unhealthy fats and added sugars, according to the report.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the following diets as the top five for heart health:
- DASH diet
- Mediterranean diet
- MIND diet
- vegan diet
- flexitarian diet
“I like focusing on the broad similarities between the diets, like being rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts and seeds, and recommending reductions in dietary sodium. With the DASH diet, there’s more of an emphasis on low-fat dairy,” Vadiveloo told Healio. “So if you’re a person who enjoys incorporating dairy into your diet, that’s great. If dairy is not as central, you might be more interested in some of the Mediterranean patterns where dairy is not as focal.”
Best diets for high blood pressure
Diets to improve BP would consist of good hydration and elevated levels of nutrients including potassium, magnesium, fiber, omega-3 and calcium. Such diets would limit the intake of sodium, saturated fats, added sugars, excess caffeine and alcohol, according to the report.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the following diets as the top five for people with high BP:
- DASH diet
- Mediterranean diet
- MIND diet
- Cleveland Clinic diet
- Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet/flexitarian diet/vegan diet (tie)
“The essence of what we’re trying for a lifestyle is to focus on predominantly eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and nuts and seeds, and limiting your intake of animal products that are rich in saturated fat,” Vadiveloo told Healio. “If you occasionally want to have something because it’s part of your cultural practice or preference, or it’s going to help you stay adherent to this kind of pattern in the long term, that occasional deviation from is not going to have an adverse health effect and would not be the part that I’m concerned about.”
Best diets for high cholesterol
Diets to lower cholesterol would have reduced intake of saturated fat, trans fat and added sugars and increased intake of food high in omega-3s, monosaturated fats and fiber, according to the report.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the following diets as the top five for people with high cholesterol:
- Mediterranean diet
- vegan diet
- DASH diet
- flexitarian diet
- TLC diet
“Those two key principles of a diet pattern low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables and fiber containing foods is the essence of why a vegan pattern would be associated with better cholesterol,” Vadiveloo said. “For somebody who is trying to follow a vegan pattern, I would say it is important to consult with a registered dietitian because if you are very adherent to it, there are certain micronutrient deficiencies that you may be at higher risk of having if you’re not carefully planning your diet.”
For more information:
Maya Vadiveloo, PhD, RD, FAHA, can be reached at 41 Lower College Road, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881
References:
- Burdeos J. Best diets for high cholesterol. https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-high-cholesterol-diets. Updated Jan. 3, 2025. Accessed Jan. 22, 2025.
- Jones L. Best diets for high blood pressure. https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-high-blood-pressure-diets. Updated Jan. 21, 2025. Accessed Jan. 22, 2025.
- Schueller G. U.S. News 2025 Best Diets: How we rate eating plans and diets. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/how-us-news-ranks-best-diets. Published Jan. 3, 2025. Accessed Jan. 22, 2025.
- Zelman K. Best heart-healthy diets. https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-heart-healthy-diets. Updated Jan. 9, 2025. Accessed Jan. 22, 2025.
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