5 Diets That Are Supported by Science

5 Diets That Are Supported by Science website or connect with her on YouTube or LinkedIn.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:500,”height”:500,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alina-Petre-500×500-Bio.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”By”},{“title”:[“The 25 Best Diet Tips to Lose Weight and Improve Health”],”text”:[“There are many things you can do to lose weight and improve health. Here are the 25 best diet tips, which you can start implementing now.”],”link”:”/nutrition/25-best-diet-tips”,”imageAlt”:”The 25 Best Diet Tips to Lose Weight and Improve Health”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/woman-cooking-prepping-food-kitchen-732×549-thumbnail-732×549.jpg”,”isNutrition”:true,”authors”:[{“id”:264,”name”:{“display”:”Jillian Kubala, MS, RD”,”first”:”Jillian”,”last”:”Kubala MS, RD”},”userLogin”:”jilliankubalanutrition”,”links”:{“website”:”http://jilliankubalanutrition.com/”,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:”https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-kubala-52539959/”,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:”https://www.instagram.com/jillian_kubala_rd/?hl=en”,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/jillian-kubala-ms-rd”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:”135935″,”specialties”:[“Nutrition”],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”[]Jillian Kubala is a registered dietitian based in Westhampton, NY. Jillian holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Stony Brook University School of Medicine as well as an undergraduate degree in nutrition science. She runs a private practice based on the east end of Long Island, NY, where she helps her clients achieve optimal wellness through nutrition and lifestyle changes.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:413,”height”:400,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_9640-1.jpg”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”By”},{“title”:[“Do Low-Fat Diets Really Work?”],”text”:[“The health authorities have been telling us to eat a low-fat diet since 1977. Since then, there have been many studies, with disappointing results.”],”link”:”/nutrition/do-low-fat-diets-work”,”imageAlt”:”Do Low-Fat Diets Really Work?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/do-low-fat-diets-work-thumb-732×549.jpg”,”isNutrition”:true,”authors”:[{“id”:801,”name”:{“display”:”Kris Gunnars, BSc”,”first”:”Kris”,”last”:”Gunnars”},”userLogin”:”kgunnars”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:”krisgunnars”,”instagram”:”https://www.instagram.com/krisgunnars/”,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/kris-gunnars”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:”125114″,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Kris Gunnars has a bachelor’s degree in medicine from the University of Iceland. Nutrition is his passion and his articles on nutrition and health have been read by millions of people. He was the founder of Authority Nutrition, which formed the basis of the trusted Nutrition brand at Healthline. You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:500,”height”:500,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Kris-Gunnars-500×500-Bio.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”By”},{“title”:[“The Watermelon Diet: Fact or Fiction?”],”text”:[“Some people claim the watermelon diet can help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, and cleanse your body of toxins. However, no research supports…”],”link”:”/health/diet-weight-loss/watermelon-diet-fact-or-fiction”,”imageAlt”:”The Watermelon Diet: Fact or Fiction?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/10889-The_Watermelon_Diet_Fact_or_Fiction-_732x549-thumbnail-732×549.jpg”,”isNutrition”:false,”authors”:[{“id”:6888,”name”:{“display”:”Alex Marceau”,”first”:”Alex”,”last”:”Marceau”},”userLogin”:”amarceau”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/alex-marceau”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”[]Alex Marceau is an editor at RVO Health, working to help make physical activity and nutrition content accessible and engaging. He holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh, and his writing has appeared in various journals, newspapers, and websites in Scotland and North America. As a keen rock climber and mountaineer, he spends the majority of his free time exploring Scotland’s wild seacliffs, mountains, and outcrops.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”src”:””}},{“id”:638,”name”:{“display”:”Anna Schaefer”,”first”:”Anna”,”last”:”Schaefer”},”userLogin”:”aschaefer”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:””},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”src”:””}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”Medically reviewed by”},{“title”:[“What Are the Pros and Cons of a Ketogenic (Keto) Diet?”],”text”:[“The keto diet has gained popularity recently as an eating plan for weight loss. It’s a very high fat diet, and research is limited on its…”],”link”:”/health/pros-and-cons-of-keto-diet”,”imageAlt”:”What Are the Pros and Cons of a Ketogenic (Keto) Diet?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/hl-keto-meal-732×549-thumbnail.jpg”,”medicallyReviewedBy”:{“reviewerName”:”Amy Richter, RD”,”reviewerImage”:{“path”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Amy-Richter-500×500-Bio.png”,”width”:200,”height”:200,”altText”:””}},”isNutrition”:false,”authors”:[{“id”:5330,”name”:{“display”:”Katie Yockey”,”first”:”Katie”,”last”:”Yockey”},”userLogin”:”kyockey”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/katie-yockey”,”type”:{“value”:”expert”,”label”:”Expert”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Katie Yockey is a London-based editor at Healthline and holds a degree in English Literature from Butler University. She’s particularly interested in women’s health, nutrition, and women in sports.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:500,”height”:500,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Katie-Yockey_500x500-Bio.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”Medically reviewed by”},{“title”:[“What Is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?”],”text”:[“A fasting mimicking diet is low enough in calories and protein to experience the health benefits of fasting even though you’re still eating. Learn…”],”link”:”/nutrition/fasting-mimicking-diet”,”imageAlt”:”What Is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PB-almonds-and-pecans-732×549-thumbnail-1.jpg”,”isNutrition”:true,”authors”:[{“id”:514,”name”:{“display”:”Catherine Crider”,”first”:”Catherine”,”last”:”Crider”},”userLogin”:”ccrider”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/catherine-crider”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Catherine Crider, CD/PCD(DONA), CLEC, CBE, JD, MEd, has worked with children for the past decade as a trained elementary and special education teacher. She finds special joy in supporting blossoming families and their infants. She enjoys educating new parents and parents-to-be about their different options as well as the current best practices in baby care. Catherine writes for various websites and teaches childbirth and postpartum education across the U.S.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:500,”height”:500,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Catherine-Crider-500×500-Bio.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”By”},{“title”:[“What Is the Fast-Mimicking Diet?”],”text”:[“The fast-mimicking diet offers benefits of fasting without a need for total food restriction. Learn how the 5 day plant-based diet may improve your…”],”link”:”/health/diet-and-weight-loss/fmd-diet”,”imageAlt”:”What Is the Fast-Mimicking Diet?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/PB-almonds-and-pecans-732×549-thumbnail.jpg”,”medicallyReviewedBy”:{“reviewerName”:”Kim Rose-Francis RDN, CDCES, LD”,”reviewerImage”:{“path”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kimberley-Rose-Francis-500×500-Bio.png”,”width”:200,”height”:200,”altText”:””}},”isNutrition”:false,”authors”:[{“id”:4529,”name”:{“display”:”Traci Pedersen”,”first”:”Traci”,”last”:”Pedersen”},”userLogin”:”tpedersen”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/traci-pedersen”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Traci Pedersen is a freelance author with more than 15 years’ experience writing on themes of psychology, science, and alternative health for a variety of publications. She also has written 14 science chapter books and numerous teacher resource books for the elementary classroom.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:400,”height”:400,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/04/Traci_Pedersen.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”Medically reviewed by”},{“title”:[“What Is a Liver Shrinking Diet and Who Needs to Be On One?”],”text”:[“A liver shrinking diet limits carbohydrates and fats. A doctor may recommend this type of diet before you undergo weight loss surgery. Learn more.”],”link”:”/health/nutrition/liver-shrinking-diet”,”imageAlt”:”What Is a Liver Shrinking Diet and Who Needs to Be On One?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/hl-cooking-732×549-thumbnail.jpg”,”isNutrition”:false,”authors”:[{“id”:514,”name”:{“display”:”Catherine Crider”,”first”:”Catherine”,”last”:”Crider”},”userLogin”:”ccrider”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/catherine-crider”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Catherine Crider, CD/PCD(DONA), CLEC, CBE, JD, MEd, has worked with children for the past decade as a trained elementary and special education teacher. She finds special joy in supporting blossoming families and their infants. She enjoys educating new parents and parents-to-be about their different options as well as the current best practices in baby care. Catherine writes for various websites and teaches childbirth and postpartum education across the U.S.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”width”:500,”height”:500,”src”:”https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Catherine-Crider-500×500-Bio.png”}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”Medically reviewed by”},{“title”:[“What Is the Ice Hack Diet and Can It Help You Lose Weight?”],”text”:[“The ice hack diet focuses on eating cold foods to speed up your metabolism. But research suggests this may not be very effective. “],”link”:”/health/diet-and-weight-loss/ice-hack-diet”,”imageAlt”:”What Is the Ice Hack Diet and Can It Help You Lose Weight?”,”thumbnail”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/glass-of-ice-water-with-measuring-tape-732×549-thumbnail.jpg”,”medicallyReviewedBy”:{“reviewerName”:”Amy Richter, RD”,”reviewerImage”:{“path”:”https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Amy-Richter-500×500-Bio.png”,”width”:200,”height”:200,”altText”:””}},”isNutrition”:false,”authors”:[{“id”:5038,”name”:{“display”:”Hope Gillette”,”first”:”Hope”,”last”:”Gillette”},”userLogin”:”hgillette”,”links”:{“website”:””,”facebook”:””,”linkedin”:””,”twitter”:””,”instagram”:””,”tiktok”:””},”link”:”/authors/hope-gillette”,”type”:{“value”:”author”,”label”:”Author”},”nid”:””,”specialties”:[],”guestTitle”:””,”bio”:{“text”:”

[]Hope Gillette is a freelance writer and published novelist. She’s passionate about providing accurate, empathetic mental health content for readers, and believes writing can help combat stigma and improve wellness outcomes. Hope’s early career focused on health disparities affecting marginalized groups, and she remains a firm advocate for health equity.n”},”avatar”:{“title”:””,”src”:””}}],”reviewedByHeader”:”Medically reviewed by”}],”hidePlacements”:[],”userPreloadDrivers”:{“headerNewsletter”:{“_driverPath”:”/nutrition/meal-plans”,”_contentIndex”:”page”,”driverId”:”88669775-a5ee-4295-b686-720871247116″,”siteId”:”3bd23390-7108-11ea-8600-afc672063050″,”site”:”hl”,”status”:”on”,”deleted”:false,”overridePredictiveRPM”:true,”overridePredictiveRPMType”:”takeover”,”modelType”:””,”sdapiTestName”:””,”rewardType”:””,”holdout”:””,”customModel”:false,”created”:”2025-03-13T13:31:37.000Z”,”updated”:”2025-03-13T13:31:37.000Z”,”createdBy”:”emcelroy@rvohealth.com”,”updatedBy”:”emcelroy@rvohealth.com”,”isTest”:false,”id”:”78e8d9c6-1e2d-406b-aa45-5bd5d3c1b760″,”name”:”e:cc_s:hl_p:nl_n:weightmgt_l:headernewsletter”,”color”:”#02838d”,”image”:”https://healthline-activation-prod.healthline.com/driver-images/weightloss%20nl%20vertical%20image.png”,”lists”:[“e:cc_s:hl_p:nl_n:weightmgt”],”style”:”standard”,”source”:”2nd Page Popup-AN Signup”,”adTagIds”:[“5bfa54a0-cb61-11ea-841d-230b5918b98d”],”autoOpen”:false,”driverType”:”headerNewsletter”,”verticalId”:”c34884bc-77fa-499c-b081-ec52479a1368″,”confirmDesc”:”Look out for our email. Can’t wait? Check us out on Instagram.”,”imageMobile”:”https://healthline-activation-prod.healthline.com/driver-images/weight%20management%20standard%20driver%20image.png”,”callToAction”:”JOIN NOW”,”campaignName”:”e:cc_s:hl_p:nl_n:weightmgt_l:headernewsletter_49642″,”confirmTitle”:”Thanks for subscribing!”,”driverTypeId”:”1ed6a315-4241-4254-92ae-17d0570ee038″,”imageDesktop”:”https://healthline-activation-prod.healthline.com/driver-images/weightloss%20nl%20vertical%20image.png”,”verticalName”:”Weight Management”,”feedbackTitle”:”What topics are you interested in?”,”titleOverride”:”Get Our Weight Management Newsletter”,”trackingNumber”:49642,”sailthruAccount”:”hl”,”articlePlacement”:”headerNewsletter”,”descriptionModal”:”Receive expert advice, tips to build healthy habits, and the latest on nutrition and fitness delivered straight to your inbox.”,”newsletterSource”:”e:cc_s:hl_p:nl_n:weightmgt”,”driverPlacementId”:”d5b8e667-55c1-4a6d-b05d-728a1733109b”,”feedbackSelections”:[“Nutrition”,”Fitness”,”Mental Well-Being”,”Sustainable Habits”,”Treatment”,”Tools for Weight Loss”],”confirmCallToAction”:”FOLLOW US”,”feedbackDescription”:”Select as many as you’d like, and we’ll use this to help personalize future newsletters.”,”includeFeedbackStep”:true,”titleOverrideMobile”:”Get Our Weight Management Newsletter”,”callToActionHexColor”:”#02838d”,”feedbackCallToAction”:”Submit”,”secondaryNewsletters”:[],”confirmCallToActionURL”:”https://www.instagram.com/healthline/?subid=e%3Acc_s%3Ahl_p%3Anl_n%3Aweightmgt_l%3Aheadernewsletter_49642&rvo_sys=mar”,”descriptionModalMobile”:”Receive expert advice, tips to build healthy habits, and the latest on nutrition and fitness delivered straight to your inbox.”,”confirmationImageMobile”:”https://images-prod.healthline.com/hlcmsresource/images/frontend-static/hl/check-our-instagram-mobile.jpg”,”confirmationImageDesktop”:”https://images-prod.healthline.com/hlcmsresource/images/frontend-static/hl/check-our-instagram-desktop.jpg”,”secondarySubscriptionSubhead”:””,”productId”:”e:cc_s:hl_p:nl_n:weightmgt_l:headernewsletter_49642″,”_uuid”:”m22ea10e0-c8f8-4c28-b789-8e131fa6597ampd_headerNewsletter_88669775-a5ee-4295-b686-720871247116″,”cpm”:1.0082446731921209e+308}},”travelerDisabledReasons”:[]}})})() ]]>

Nutrition

[]While many diets may work for you, the key is finding one you like and can stick to in the long run.

[]Here are 5 healthy diets that are scientifically proven to be effective.

1. Low-carb, whole-food diet

[]The low-carb, whole-food diet is perfect for people who need to lose weight, optimize health, and lower their risk of disease.

[]It’s flexible, allowing you to fine-tune your carb intake depending on your goals.

[]This diet is high in vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, nuts, and fats but low in starches, sugars, and processed foods.

[]The Mediterranean diet is an excellent diet that has been thoroughly studied. It’s particularly effective for heart disease prevention.

[]It emphasizes foods that were commonly eaten around the Mediterranean region during the 20th century and earlier.

[]As such, it includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, whole grains, legumes, dairy products, and extra virgin olive oil.

[]The paleo diet is a very popular diet that is effective for weight loss and general health improvement. It’s currently the world’s most popular diet.

[]It centers on unprocessed foods believed to resemble those available to some of humanity’s paleolithic ancestors.

[]The vegan diet has become increasingly popular in the past decade. It’s linked to a number of health benefits, including weight loss, improved heart health, and better blood sugar control.

[]The diet is based exclusively on plant foods and eliminates all animal products.

[]The gluten-free diet is essential for people who are intolerant to gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley.

[]For optimal health, you should focus on whole foods that are naturally gluten-free. Gluten-free junk food is still junk food.

[]So many diets exist that it can feel overwhelming to simply find a single one to try.

[]However, it’s important to note that some eating patterns have more scientific backing than others. Whether you’re looking to lose weight or simply boost your overall health, try to find diets that are supported by research.

How we reviewed this article:

© 2025 Healthline Media LLC. All rights reserved. Healthline Media is an RVO Health Company. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information.© 2025 Healthline Media LLC. All rights reserved. Healthline Media is an RVO Health Company. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information. { if (window.afterMPD) { /* Defer preamp rendering until we have injected all MPDs as those */ /* need to be in the DOM for Preamp to inject into. */ afterMPD(done); clearInterval(interval); } },500) }, } }; /* eslint-disable-next-line no-underscore-dangle */ window._Cohesion = { k: ‘cohesion’, tagular: tagularConfigs, preamp: preampConfigs }; window._Tagular = { k: ‘tagular’ }; window._Preamp = { k: ‘preamp’, start: new Date(), docReady: true }; window._Fuse = { k: ‘fuse’, docReady: false }; window.tagular = tagular; window.preamp = preamp; window.fuse = () => {}; window.cohesion = cohesion; ]]>[]

There are many “diets” that can work. Here are meal plans for 5 healthy diets that have been shown to be effective in studies.