On April 28, 2023, the American Heart Association released a ranking of popular diets, stating that the paleo and keto diets, while having many followers, are not necessarily beneficial for heart health. The top-10 list, available in the journal Circulation, is the first of its kind for the association and aims to combat the misinformation about dieting that has been spreading on social media recently. The keto and paleo diets may enable short-term weight loss benefits, but they are both high in fat without limiting saturated fat. High levels of saturated fat and low fiber are both linked to cardiovascular disease, which is a cause for concern, according to the Heart Association. Furthermore, these diets are very restrictive and difficult for most people to follow long term. To be effective, a diet that helps an individual maintain weight loss goals must be sustainable from a practical perspective.
The Heart Association’s list assesses how closely the diets follow the guidelines for heart-healthy eating, with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) scoring 100 points and being ranked as the best diet for heart health. Other diets in the top tier were the pescatarian diet (92 points), the Mediterranean diet (89 points), and the vegetarian diet (86 points). The Mediterranean diet lost a few points for not addressing added salt and allowing moderate alcohol consumption. The vegan and low-fat diets were placed second, the very low-fat and low-carb diets third, and the paleo, keto/very low-carb diets (including the Atkins diet) last in the fourth and bottom tier.
