Best Diets report: How did the vegan diet rank?

US News & World Report recently released the results of their research on 20 well-known diets, including the vegan diet. How did the vegan diet rank beside household names Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, the Mediterranean diet and Slim Fast?
US News & World Report recently released the results of their research on 20 well-known diets, including the vegan diet. How did the vegan diet rank beside household names Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, the Mediterranean diet and Slim Fast?

Best Diets criteria

The rankings of the 20 diets were based on scores in seven categories: short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, easiness to follow, safety, nutritional completeness, ability to prevent or manage diabetes, and ability to prevent or manage heart disease.

Twenty-two experts in diet, nutrition, diabetes and heart disease performed the reviews, then the diets were given final rankings in the following categories:

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• Best Diets Overall

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• Best Weight-Loss Diets

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• Best Diabetes Diets

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• Best Heart-Healthy Diets

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• Best Commercial Diet Plans (if applicable)

Vegan diet rankings

Up against 19 other diets, here’s how the US News & World Report experts ranked the vegan diet.

#12 in Best Diets Overall

Even though the vegan diet is proven effective in reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, the experts were “lukewarm on veganism” because it’s restrictive, doesn’t come with built-in social support, and may be low in some nutrients.

WINNER: DASH diet

#5 in Best Weight-Loss Diets

Going vegan gives you good odds of losing weight and keeping it off, according to experts, but the diet requires people to be “very committed,” because forgoing all animal products can be challenging. Interestingly, the raw food diet ranked higher at #2 and was also considered restrictive and labor-intensive.

WINNER: Weight Watchers Diet

#5 in Best Heart Healthy Diets

Veganism earned high marks by the experts for its potential to boost cardiovascular health and the emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while steering dieters away from salty, processed choices.

WINNER: Ornish Diet

#2 in Best Diabetes Diets

The vegan diet holds second place for the best diabetes diet along with the Mayo Clinic Diet and Ornish Diet. Experts give accolades to the vegan diet because it can both manage and prevent diabetes because it promotes weight loss as well as healthy weight management. Being overweight is one of the greatest risk factors for developing diabetes.

WINNER: DASH Diet

Click for the entire Best Diets report

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