The 2024 Best Diet List is out! It has been on the list for 7 consecutive years. What is so magical about it?

The most common New Year's greeting is "good health", which is the most practical blessing. After all, health is the foundation of everything, and if you want to live a healthy life, "how to eat" is very important and directly affects our body.

In January 2024, U.S. News & World Report released the 2024 Best Diets list. The list invited professional practitioners in diet, nutrition, obesity, dietary psychology, diabetes and cardiologists to form a jury to evaluate nearly 40 dietary patterns. The Mediterranean diet ranked first, the DASH diet ranked second, and the MIND diet ranked third.

Why do these three eating patterns stand out among many other eating patterns? What are their benefits to health? How should we eat them? In this article, we will talk about these three eating patterns.

Image source: U.S. News & World Report website

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is a general term for the traditional eating habits of countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Spain and Morocco. So far, the Mediterranean diet has won seven consecutive championships and has been rated as the best eating pattern every year.

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How to eat?

The Mediterranean diet sounds very high-end, but in fact, it is quite down-to-earth in practice. There is no food that cannot be eaten, even if it is "unhealthy", just eat less. The main principles to follow are as follows:

- Eat a variety of foods on your plate.

- Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, herbs and spices every day.

- Eat seafood and fish at least twice a week.

-Poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation.

-Red meat and sweets can be eaten occasionally.

-If you have a drinking habit, you can have a glass of red wine occasionally

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Combined with the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is recommended to eat like this:

① Staple food: Whole grains, a combination of coarse and fine grains, such as brown rice, barley, highland barley, oats, corn, chickpeas, etc. Replace 1/3~1/2 of white rice with whole grains.

② Fresh fruits and vegetables: can supplement vitamin C, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants, etc. It is recommended to eat 1.5~2 fist-sized cooked vegetables per meal, and choose more dark vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, broccoli, purple cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, etc.

Eat about 4 fists of fruit. Give priority to low-GI fruits such as strawberries, cherries, peaches, oranges, grapefruits, apples, and kiwis, and have them as snacks between meals.

③ Aquatic products: Choose fish, shrimp and shellfish instead of meat. It is recommended to eat fish at least twice a week, one palm-sized portion each time, such as sea bass, eel, salmon, prawns, clams, etc.

④ Livestock and poultry meat, eggs, and milk: 1 egg, about 50 grams of livestock and poultry meat (about the size of 3 fingers), 300-500 ml of milk, sugar-free yogurt, or 30-50 grams of low-salt cheese every day.

⑤ Beans: It is recommended to eat 25 grams of soybean products corresponding to soybeans every day, such as 1 fist of northern tofu or tofu shreds.

⑥ Nuts: 10 grams per day is recommended, such as seven or eight cashews or almonds or pistachios or one large paper-shell walnut, etc.

⑦ Cooking oil: mainly olive oil, and it is best to control the amount to 25-30 grams per day. A porcelain spoon for soup contains about 10 grams, and each person can consume no more than 3 spoons per day.

⑧ Moderate red wine: If you don’t have a habit of drinking, it is recommended not to drink. This is because a 2018 assessment of the global health burden of alcohol in The Lancet showed that there is no safe dose of alcohol, and not drinking a drop of alcohol is the lowest health risk. If you have a habit of drinking every day, it is recommended to switch to red wine and control it within 150 ml.

⑨ Drink more water: Men should drink at least 1700 ml of water every day, and women should drink 1500 ml of water.

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What are the benefits to the body?

Numerous studies have shown that this dietary pattern can reduce the risk of certain chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, while promoting longevity and improving quality of life.

A study of 32,119 participants showed that following a Mediterranean diet can minimize weight gain and waist circumference. Another study published in Nutrients mentioned that adhering to a Mediterranean diet can help improve fertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART) success rate, and sperm quality [3]. The Mediterranean diet is also an anti-inflammatory diet that can help us reduce the body's inflammatory response and prevent the occurrence of many diseases.

DASH diet

In the US News Best Diets rankings from 2019 to 2023, the DASH diet ranked in the top three among 40 diets. It is good news for patients with hypertension and is especially suitable for people who need to control blood pressure.

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How to eat?

The DASH diet is similar to the Mediterranean dietary pattern but gives more specific recommendations on actual amounts and types of foods to limit.

-Emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products.

-Limit foods high in added sugars and saturated fats, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, coconut oil, butter, etc.

-The most important thing is to limit sodium intake to 2300 mg (about 5.8 grams of salt) per day, and strict followers usually reduce it to about 1500 mg (about 3.7 grams of salt).

The specific way to eat is (based on the suggestions given by adults who need 2000kcal of energy per day. People with different energy needs can make appropriate increases or decreases according to the proportion):

① Eat 4 to 5 servings of vegetables every day, about 400 to 500 grams, which is almost the same as the recommendation of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents". It is recommended that more than half of them be dark vegetables. You can choose more vegetables with high potassium and magnesium content, such as beet leaves, celery, kale, kale, fresh peas, fresh edamame, green amaranth, spinach, chicory, etc.

② 4 to 5 servings of fruit per day. A medium-sized apple is about 1 serving, which means about 400 grams of fruit per day.

③ Drink 2 to 3 servings of low-fat milk or skim milk every day, one serving is about 236 ml.

④ Meat, nuts and soy products should not be ignored. Lean meat, poultry and fish should be less than 6 servings per day. One serving is about 30 grams of cooked lean meat. Eat less red meat, such as pork, beef and mutton; choose more chicken, duck, fish and shrimp, and remove the skin of poultry. Also eat soy products and nuts 4 to 5 times a week, about 15 grams of nuts or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter each time.

⑤ Eat 6 to 8 servings of cereals and tubers every day. One serving is about one fist, such as one slice of whole wheat bread or 30 grams of dry cereals.

⑥ 2-3 servings of cooking oil per day, 1 serving is about 10 grams, or 1 tablespoon. Chinese residents usually eat more cooking oil containing n-6 series unsaturated fatty acids. It is recommended to choose more cooking oil containing n-3 series unsaturated fatty acids. For cooking, olive oil, rapeseed oil, and corn oil can be selected. For salad dressing or soup, flaxseed oil and perilla oil can be selected.

⑦ Both salt and sugar should be controlled in amount, with salt controlled within 5 grams (less than 1 beer bottle cap), and sugar is best not consumed.

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What are the benefits to the body?

Following the DASH diet is not only helpful for controlling blood pressure, but also effective for weight loss. A meta-analysis of clinical trials showed that compared with the control group, participants who followed the DASH diet lost an additional 3.1 pounds (about 2.8 kilograms) in weight within 8 to 24 weeks, reduced their BMI by 0.4 units within 8 to 52 weeks, and reduced their waist circumference by 1.05 cm within 24 weeks; another randomized clinical trial showed that compared with the control diet, participants who followed the DASH diet had a significant reduction in weight and BMI after 8 weeks.

The general population can follow this diet for a long time, but people with kidney disease and those who need a low-potassium diet should consult a doctor first.

MIND Diet

The MIND diet combines the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet to form a dietary pattern that is beneficial to brain health. Its main function is to delay cognitive decline and prevent Alzheimer's disease.

- Eat 7 servings of green leafy vegetables per week, which averages out to 1 serving per day. (1 serving is about 1 bowl)

- Eat five 1/2 cup servings of berries per week, preferably blueberries. (1 cup is 250 ml)

-Eat whole grains and a variety of vegetables every day.

- Drink a glass of wine every day (optional).

-Eat nuts every day and 1/2 cup of beans every other day.

- Eat poultry at least twice a week.

- Eat fish at least once a week.

-Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day, in place of butter, margarine or vegetable oil.

- Less than 4 portions of red meat or meat products such as sausages per week.

- Eat less than 5 sweets or pastries per week.

- Eat two portions of full-fat cheese per week, about 30 grams or less.

Data show that the MIND diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by about 35% in people who follow it moderately, and by up to 53% in those who follow it strictly.

An unreasonable diet is a major factor in the occurrence, development and death of chronic diseases. A healthy eating pattern can make you healthier and more energetic.

In fact, for most ordinary people, we only need to arrange our daily diet according to the latest "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)". The dietary guidelines are formulated after comprehensive research on our eating habits, dietary intake, epidemiological surveys, health effects, etc., and can be considered the most suitable for our people.

Image source: Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)

Regardless of the diet, the most important thing is:

Food is diverse and reasonably matched;

Balance eating and exercise, maintain a healthy weight;

Eat more vegetables, milk, whole grains, and soy;

Eat fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meat in moderation;

Eat less salt and oil, control sugar and limit alcohol;

Eat regular meals and drink plenty of water.

In daily life, if we arrange our diet according to the dietary guidelines and the recommendations of the balanced diet pyramid, we can meet our physical health needs. There is no need to blindly pursue a certain "healthy eating method".

References

[1]https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diets-overall

[2]https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/mediterranean-diet

[3]Alesi, Simon et al. “Anti-Inflammatory Diets in Fertility: An Evidence Review.” Nutrients vol. 14,19 3914. 21 Sep. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14193914

[4]https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/dash-diet

[5]https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/mind-diet

Planning and production

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Lin Lin

Editor: He Tong