Best And Worst Diets To Try In 2023, According To Experts

It is "New year, new me" season, and one of the most common New Year's resolutions people set is getting healthier, usually involving a diet of some kind. More often than not, the diets turn out to be a fad or simply not the right fit for the person. Well, experts have broken down the best and worst diets for 2023.

The list of the Best Diets by the U.S. News & World Report is out for 2023, and the Mediterranean Diet is once again in the top spot in the Best Diets Overall category. This is reportedly the sixth year in a row that the diet took the top spot.

It also took the top spots for Best Plant-Based Diets and Best Diets for Healthy Eating categories, while tying with the DASH Diet as number one in the Best Diets for Bone & Joint Health, and with the Flexitarian and TLC diets as the Best Family-Friendly Diets.

The diets were ranked by a panel of 33 experts. According to the outlet, the list "cuts through the diet chatter to get to the bones of which plans are most likely to help our readers reach their goals."

This year, Pritkin and Keyto were added to the roster—the former landed the 11th spot in the Best Diets Overall, while Keyto ranked 18th.

It can be noted that Keyto Diet is different from the hugely popular Keto, or Ketogenic Diet. Keyto is a "Mediterranean style" low-carb diet, while Keto is "high-fat, low-carb" and is done with the goal to lose weight by burning fat faster.

The Mediterranean Diet, which continues to be popular with health experts, is based on traditional eating observed in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. It's rich in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats while also being low on processed foods and added sugars.

There has been a growing body of research on the benefits of the diet. And apart from the aforementioned categories in which it took the number one spot, the Mediterranean Diet also ranked rather high in other categories such as the Best Heart-Healthy Diet (number two), Best Diabetes Diets (number two), Easiest Diets to Follow (number three) and Best Weight Loss Diets (number five).

It was only a bit far down on the list in the category of Best Fast Weight Loss Diets, wherein it ranked 21st.

But what about the bottom of the list? The Raw Food Diet ranked the last (24th) in Best Diets Overall, getting a score of 1.7 out of five points. It reportedly replaced the Keto Diet, which was previously at the bottom of the list but has moved up a few spots to the 20th in the Best Diets Overall category.

Raw Food Diet was also 24th in the Best Diets for Healthy Eating and Best Weight-Loss Diets categories.

This diet is based on the premise of only eating foods that hadn't been cooked, processed, engineered or exposed to pesticides. While it does have its benefits, like including high-fiber foods, being a bit more eco-friendly and the fact that it doesn't entail counting calories or carbs, the Raw Food Diet also has quite a few caveats.

For instance, it can be rather "unsafe" for some people, the outlet noted, as it "lacks in-depth nutritional balance," has "little research to back it up," and may actually "fall short nutritionally."

"The safest and healthiest way to enjoy raw foods is as part of a whole food, plant-based diet that is rich in raw fruits and vegetables, and cooked lentils, beans, grains and vegetables," Dr. Vanita Rahman of the Barnard Medical Center, said as per U.S. News & World Report.

But as the outlet noted, there is "no magic bullet" or a "one-size-fits-all" aspect of dieting. Instead, it's best to consider the ones that fit one's lifestyle and personality, and perhaps one's needs.

"No matter how good it looks – or how good it might make you look – if you can't stick with it in the long run, you'll be right back where you started after a couple of months," the outlet said. "And consider physical activity – an important component of any healthy lifestyle."