The best diets for heart health: DASH diet surpasses Mediterranean, MIND, vegan and flexitarian options
![Following a plant-based diet can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dying from cardiovascular causes, according to new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.[1] The study’s authors emphasized that a person can still occasionally eat meat, fish or dairy products and still see substantial benefits—the key is to keep such things to a minimum and embrace fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, teas and coffees.](/sites/default/files/styles/top_stories/public/2019-06/fruit-2305192_960_720.jpg.webp?itok=Fp0A6eiO)
The DASH diet is the best diet a person can follow if they want to improve their overall heart health, according to a new analysis from U.S. News and World Report. The Mediterranean diet, which came out on top in the same ranking in 2024, landed at No. 2 in this latest breakdown.
U.S. News partnered with The Harris Poll to determine its rankings, drawing insights from nearly 70 expert physicians, dietitians, chefs and healthcare researchers. The group reviewed 38 diets, considering their value in a variety of different categories.
The Mediterranean diet was named the best overall diet with a rating of 4.8, followed by the DASH diet with a rating of 4.6. When focused on improving one’s heart health, however, the DASH diet received a rating of 4.9, one-tenth of a point higher than the Mediterranean diet.
What is the DASH diet?
DASH is an acronym that stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet was designed to both lower an individual’s blood pressure and improve their overall heart health. It prioritizes foods heavy in potassium, calcium and magnesium and limits foods high in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. A well-balanced DASH diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.
The DASH diet, experts noted, is quite similar to the Mediterranean diet, but its recommendations and limitations are more specific. This does mean additional time may need to be spent on meal prep, but the DASH diet is still believed to be a fairly flexible eating pattern for anyone hoping to improve their heart health.
"This style of eating isn’t telling you that you have to eliminate food groups, but instead, gives you guidelines on how many servings per week you should ideally consume,” Lindsey Pine, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Los Angeles, explained in the U.S. News breakdown. "(It's) more than just an eating pattern to reduce blood pressure and offers so many additional whole-body health benefits, similar to the Mediterranean diet.”
Key components of a heart-healthy diet
According to the report’s team of experts, these are five goals for any strong heart-healthy diet:
- Focus heavily on consuming plant-based foods.
- Eat many different minimally processed whole foods rich in nutrients and fiber.
- Eat more healthy fats—fatty fish are specifically recommended—and eat fewer unhealthy fats.
- Limit the consumption of added sugars, highly processed foods and fatty meats.
- Limit your overall sodium intake while adding more potassium to your diet.
The top 10 heart-healthy diets, based on U.S. News ratings
1. DASH Diet (4.9 rating)
2. Mediterranean Diet (4.8 rating)
3. MIND Diet (4.3 rating) (tie)
3. Vegan Diet (4.3 diet) (tie)
3. Flexitarian Diet (4.3 diet (tie)
6. TLC Diet (4.2 rating)
7. Cleveland Clinic Diet (4.1 rating)
8. Ornish Diet (4.0 rating)
9. Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet (3.8 rating) (tie)
9. Mayo Clinic Diet (3.8 rating) (tie)
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.