By Quentin Fottrell, Marketwatch

January 3, 2020 | 10: 32am

The consultants bear spoken — and eaten.

US Knowledge and World File on Thursday released its annual ranking from 1 to 35 of the world’s finest (and, yes, worst) diets for 2020. A team of 25 panelists of “nationally known” consultants in diet, diet, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart illness named the Mediterranean diet as the No. 1 diet for 2020 in accordance with seven requirements: instant-term weight reduction, long-term weight reduction, effectiveness for cardiovascular illness prevention, effectiveness for combating diabetes, ease of compliance, dietary completeness and health dangers.

The Mediterranean diet — which has been ranked the valid for the third year in a row — specializes in olive oil rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fruits and vegetables, entire grains and lean protein admire fish and rooster, with the occasional share of pork.

“It’s in most cases accredited that the opposite folks in nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and revel in no longer as much as most American citizens from cancer and cardiovascular ailments,” US Knowledge and World File said.

“The no longer-so-surprising secret is an active life-style, weight exercise watch over and a diet low in pork, sugar and saturated plump and excessive in form, nuts and other healthful meals.”

The Mediterranean diet also can fair additionally back with heart and brain health and cancer prevention, the story added.

“By following the Mediterranean Weight reduction program, you might exercise that weight off while fending off chronic illness. There isn’t ‘a’ Mediterranean diet. Greeks exercise differently from Italians, who exercise differently from the French and Spanish. Nonetheless they piece quite a bit of the identical tips.”

The diet additionally emphasizes beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil and flavorful herbs and spices, besides cheese and yogurt in moderation and a tumbler of crimson wine in moderation.

It narrowly beat out the Race diet, which recommends fruits, vegetables, nuts, entire grains, poultry, fish and low-plump dairy products, while lowering salt, pork, sweets and sugar-sweetened drinks.

It’s totally linked to the Mediterranean diet, however recommends chopping out two more things: full cream (in prefer of low-plump dairy products) and alcoholic drinks. Dietitians additionally expose in opposition to snacking and takeouts and a pair of.5 hours of “reasonable-depth” exercise per week such develop into as soon as walking, Jazzercise, gardening or Pilates.

Final on the ranking, in accordance with US Knowledge and World File: the Dukan diet, which specializes in protein as an different of calorie counting.

“It’s a weight-loss powerhouse — it’s filling, takes time and work to digest and has very few energy for every gram of food when in contrast with carb-heavy meals.” Limiting carbohydrates forces the physique to burn kept plump.

“By following the Dukan Weight reduction program, it’s claimed you might lose as much as 10 pounds contained in the predominant week and proceed to lose 2 to 4 pounds per week after that unless you’ve reached your goal,” the story said.

Other folks on the Dukan diet misplaced, on common, more than 15 pounds after the diet’s two action-basically based totally phases — “attack” (pure protein) and “cruise” (vegetables on chosen days) — in accordance with a 2010 online look for.

Nonetheless the consultants additionally listed downsides: “Put together for hundreds rules. All four phases of the Dukan Weight reduction program — named after French physician Pierre Dukan — are heavy on fabricate’s and don’ts and even the slightest toddle-up is believed about opposed.” The US Knowledge & World File additionally said this diet “might fall instant nutritionally.”

Dukan develop into as soon as no longer straight on hand for comment.