The American Heart Association did a ranking of the 10 most popular diets for heart health and found that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or DASH diet was ranked No. 1 with a score of 100.
The association looked at existing diets and “measured them against the standards that we use,” said Dr. Ameya Kulkarni, a cardiologist with Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare providers in the nation.
Specifically, researchers examined 10 common diets and split them into tiers based on the positive impact they had on overall heart health.
“The main guidelines included low-salt, low-fat, minimal alcohol and balanced fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and proteins,” Kulkarni said. “They found that there are a couple of diets that are probably better for your long-term health than others.”
The DASH diet, which came out on top, prioritizes vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy, and it’s supported by doctors, clinicians and nutritionists.
Also, it encourages “people to limit certain things like really salty foods, or fatty meats or foods that are rich in sugar, like soft drinks,” Washington Post health columnist Anahad O’Connor told WTOP.
“It’s daily advice for reducing hypertension,” Kulkarni said.
O’Connor said that the DASH diet is great because it’s adaptable and not extremely restrictive, and can be adapted based on your personal or cultural preferences, adding that it’s affordable, as well.
According to the report, a Mediterranean style diet was ranked No. 2 while the paleo and keto diets were ranked the two worst because they tend to restrict a lot of heart healthy foods.
Even though nutrition and health experts say that the healthiest diets may not be the sexiest diets, O’Connor said, “They’re the diets that have been proven and shown to work in studies for improvements in your cardiovascular health, for lowering your risk of chronic diseases and obesity and the greatest chances at longevity.”
Here is a list of the 10 most popular diets ranked by to the American Heart Association:
- DASH style
- Mediterranean style
- Vegetarian-style/Pescatarian
- Vegetarian-style/Ovo/Lacto
- Vegetarian-style/Vegan
- Low-fat
- Low-carbohydrate
- Paleolithic
- Ketogenic
“This is really about making healthy choices to reduce the likelihood of plaque forming in your arteries that can cause things like heart attacks and strokes,” said Kulkarni. “It really focused on disease prevention.”
