April 28, 2023 – The paleo and keto diets have many followers but aren’t necessarily good for heart health, the American Heart Association said in a rating of popular diets.
The top 10 list was published within the magazine on Thursday Trafficand it’s the primary time that the association has evaluated popular diets. In a Press releaseThe company hopes the list will help the general public and medical professionals navigate the misinformation about diets circulating on social media.
The keto and paleo diets may help people shed extra pounds within the short term, but each “are high in fat without restricting saturated fat. Consuming high amounts of saturated fat and low amounts of fiber are both linked to the development of cardiovascular disease,” based on the Heart Association.
“They are very restrictive and difficult for most people to maintain,” said Dr. Christopher D. Gardner, chair of the report's creator committee and a professor of drugs at Stanford University. “While there are likely short-term benefits and significant weight loss, this is not sustainable. A diet that is effective in helping a person achieve their weight loss goals must be sustainable from a practical perspective.”
The list was created based on how closely the diets meet the Heart Association's guidelines for heart-healthy eating.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) weight loss program scored 100 points and was rated the very best weight loss program for heart health based on these guidelines. Also within the association's top group were the pescatarian weight loss program (92 points), the Mediterranean weight loss program (89 points) and the vegetarian weight loss program (86 points). The press release noted that the Mediterranean weight loss program lost some points since it doesn’t include added salt and allows moderate alcohol consumption.
Vegan and low-fat diets were placed within the second category by the Heart Association, very low-fat and low-carb diets within the third category. In the fourth and lowest category were the Paleo and keto/very low-carb diets, including the Atkins weight loss program.