Diet questions
Is there one best diet?
No. When researchers compare popular diets head to head, the results over a year or more tend to be similar. The diet that works best for you is the healthy one you can stick with, and that depends on your health, your tastes, your culture and your budget.
What the research shows
Studies that put low-carb, low-fat and other diets side by side keep finding the same thing. Average weight loss after a year is usually close between groups, and the spread within each group is much bigger than the gap between them. Some people lose a lot on any given plan, and some lose very little.
One well-known example is the DIETFITS trial from Stanford, published in 2018. About 600 adults were put on either a healthy low-fat or a healthy low-carb diet for a year. Both groups lost a similar amount of weight on average. The researchers also looked at genetic and insulin markers they thought might predict who did better on which diet, and those markers did not help.
What does predict success fairly well is simple: how closely people keep following the plan. Results vary a lot between people, and studies longer than a year or two are rare, so no one can promise you a particular result from any diet.
What the good diets have in common
The eating patterns with the strongest long-term evidence, such as Mediterranean, DASH and well-planned plant-based diets, share a lot:
- Plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains.
- Nuts, seeds and olive oil or other unsaturated fats.
- Fish, poultry, eggs or plant proteins more than red and processed meat.
- Little added sugar, salty snacks or sugary drinks.
Even most well-designed low-carb plans end up close to this list, just with fewer starches.
How to find the best diet for you
| If this sounds like you | A pattern that may fit |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure | DASH, which is built around lowering it |
| You love bread, pasta and olive oil | Mediterranean |
| You feel best with fewer starches | A moderate low-carb diet |
| You struggle with evening snacking | Time-restricted eating on top of balanced meals |
| You eat little or no meat already | Plant-based |
If you have diabetes, kidney disease or take regular medication, talk to your doctor before a big change. Some diets, especially very low-carb ones, can change how much medication you need.
Related questions
Is keto better than other diets for weight loss?
Keto can lead to faster weight loss in the first few weeks, much of it water. Over a year, studies generally find results similar to other diets that cut calories by the same amount.
Why do some diets rank higher in yearly lists?
Rankings reflect a panel's view of evidence, safety and ease of following. They can be a useful starting point, but a top-ranked diet is not automatically the right one for your health, tastes or budget.
Should I just count calories instead?
Some people find it helpful for a while. Calories matter for weight, but food quality matters for health and fullness, so most people do better focusing on meals rather than numbers alone.
Keep reading
The guide to choosing a diet walks you through the options, and the diet comparison lays them side by side. See also can you mix diets, what makes a diet sustainable, and the glossary entries on diet quality and macronutrients.