10 popular diets scored for heart-healthy elements; some need improvement

Statement Highlights:

• A new American Heart Association scientific statement assesses and scores the heart healthiness of popular dietary patterns.
• Several dietary patterns, including the DASH-style eating plan, Mediterranean, pescatarian and vegetarian eating patterns, received top ratings for aligning with the Association’s dietary guidance.
• A few eating patterns, including Paleo and ketogenic diets, contradict the Association’s guidance and did not rank as heart-healthy eating patterns.
• The statement suggests opportunities for dietary research and interventions to promote health equity, recognizing the importance of social determinants of health in shaping dietary patterns.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, April 27, 2023

DALLAS, April 27, 2023 — Many popular dietary patterns score high for heart-health; however, a few contradict the American Heart Association’s dietary guidance and did not rank as heart-healthy, according to a new scientific statement published today in the Association’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

“The number of different, popular dietary patterns has proliferated in recent years, and the amount of misinformation about them on s