8 min read · Reviewed by a dietitian
The Mediterranean diet, 60 years on
The most studied eating pattern in the world. What four decades of trials really show about the heart and the brain.
Read more
Diet guides
Every diet, honestly compared
What each eating pattern actually asks of you, who it suits, what the trials found — and how likely you are to still be doing it in a year.
Diets
7 min read
DASH: still the best diet for blood pressure
Designed in a lab, proven in clinics. How it works and how to run it without counting anything.
Read more12 min read · Evidence graded
Low-carb and keto: what the evidence supports
Strong short-term results, murkier long-term ones. Who genuinely benefits and who should be cautious.
Read more9 min read
Going plant-based without the deficiencies
B12, iron, iodine and omega-3 — the four things to plan for before you switch.
Read more10 min read
Intermittent fasting: is timing the point?
Most trials find fasting works as well as calorie restriction — because for most people it is calorie restriction.
Read more11 min read · Reviewed by a clinician
Why most diets fail at month five
Weight regain is physiological, not moral. What actually predicts long-term maintenance.
Read more
Start here
Choose a diet you can keep
Adherence beats optimisation. In head-to-head trials, the best diet is consistently the one people stick with.
- Pick the pattern closest to how you already eat.
- Judge a diet on year-two results, not week-two ones.
- Beware anything eliminating a whole food group without reason.
- Cost and cooking time are legitimate deciding factors.
- Check with a clinician if you take medication or are pregnant.
“The comparison table saved me months. I picked DASH because it fitted my family's cooking, not because it trended.”
— Priya S., reader
How we review. Articles in Diets are checked against primary research and re-read whenever significant new evidence appears. See our editorial policy.