The Mediterranean diet has once again proven its worth, snagging the best of the best title for 2025 from U.S. News & World Report. This annual ranking, judged by nutrition experts, highlights both the top and bottom diets in terms of health benefits.
Since 2019, the Mediterranean diet—more of a lifestyle choice than just a meal plan—has consistently topped the charts thanks to its emphasis on fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Plus, it encourages enjoying meals with loved ones and staying active every day.
While it cuts back on sweets and suggests only small servings of dairy and meat (especially red meat), fish is a key player in this diet—particularly fatty varieties like sardines.
In previous years, U.S. News ranked diets from first to around fortieth place; those at the bottom were pretty much ignored when it came to awards. Gretel Schueller, managing editor for health at U.S. News & World Report who oversees these rankings, noted that there used to be a long list where many diets at the bottom didn’t deserve much attention.
This time around, they’ve switched things up by having nutrition judges rate diets on a five-star scale—similar to what you see on sites like Amazon for products. Schueller explained that this new system gives people more options and helps them tailor their choices based on their personal health goals.
With this fresh approach in mind, three diets—the Mediterranean diet, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), and flexitarian—each earned over four stars as some of the best overall options as well as being among the healthiest and easiest to stick with.
The DASH diet focuses on cutting down salt intake for better blood pressure control while allowing some meat or poultry in its vegetarian-friendly flexitarian approach. All three emphasize plant-based eating while encouraging folks to limit refined foods, red meat, and added sugars.
Evaluating diets based on health needs.
The 2025 report has introduced some fresh rankings for diets aimed at managing chronic illnesses like arthritis, diverticulitis, fatty liver disease, and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as addressing life stages such as menopause.
Some medical organizations do endorse specific diets; for instance, the American Heart Association (AHA) ranks the DASH diet as the best choice for heart health because it perfectly aligns with their guidelines for heart-healthy eating.
In fact, in the latest best diet report from U.S. News & World Report, the DASH diet received top honors with a score of 4.9 stars for its effectiveness in promoting heart health and managing blood pressure.
On the flip side, there are other medical groups that don’t advocate particular diets and instead recommend a more individualized approach. Take the so-called menopause diet, which scored 4.6 stars from the report’s panel of judges.
However, Dr. Stephanie Faubion—who heads up the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health in Jacksonville and serves as medical director for the Menopause Society—points out that there’s really no specific menopause diet. The only dietary approach shown to alleviate hot flashes is a whole food, plant-based diet that’s low in oil and high in soy.
While Dr. Faubion agrees with some aspects of this menopause diet—like avoiding late-night snacks—she disagrees with U.S. News & World Report’s mention of Nutrisystem’s paid menopause plan.
In an email, she expressed her concerns: As a menopause specialist and scientist, I wouldn’t recommend my patients depend on a commercial program like that, she said. It doesn’t help people grasp what they should be doing long-term; it just puts something in front of them without fostering sustainable habits.
Have a chat with your doctor about different diets.
The latest report highlights several new diet trends focusing on digestive health and diets that purport to ease inflammation related to conditions like arthritis and gout. Jill Tyrer, an editor at the Arthritis Foundation, shared with us that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet for these issues.
She recommends plant-based diets low in sugar, unhealthy fats, salt, and processed foods—like the Mediterranean and DASH diets—as the best routes to manage these conditions.
However, she emphasizes that most individuals suffering from autoimmune or inflammatory arthritis, along with many gout patients, will still need medication to prevent disease progression.
Dr. Jesús Luvano Jr., a gastroenterology assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, cautions those with digestive problems against relying solely on the U.S. News & World Report rankings when choosing their diets.
He points out that people might mistakenly believe these rankings are definitive because they come from nutrition experts and may skip important conversations with their doctors about what works best for them.
It’s essential to keep a food diary of what you eat and collaborate with your physician to determine the most suitable dietary approach for your specific situation, he advises.
According to the report, the Mediterranean diet earned high ratings—over four stars—for its benefits regarding fatty liver disease, inflammation, and overall gut health. For diverticulitis—a painful condition caused by bulging pouches in the colon—the Mediterranean diet received a respectable 3.7 rating.
Dr. Luvano notes that low-fat diets are recommended for fatty liver and gallbladder diseases; he highlights how the Mediterranean diet features lean meats and healthier fats that can be advantageous.
When it comes to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), judges awarded an impressive 4.8 stars to the low FODMAP diet developed in Australia.
This approach aims at cutting down on fermentable foods and carbs that can lead to bloating, cramping, pain, or diarrhea in some people. The acronym FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides (chains of sugar molecules), disaccharides (like lactose), monosaccharides (such as fructose), and polyols (sugar alcohols like sorbitol).
Dr. Luvano stresses that since IBS has various subtypes, it’s crucial for dietary plans to be tailored individually for each patient: If someone tries to avoid everything on a comprehensive FODMAP list without guidance, they might end up cutting out helpful foods like apples or certain grains.
He insists on having thorough discussions with both physicians and nutritionists because every individual has unique food triggers: We need to figure out if removing something actually helps alleviate your symptoms.