Search trends for popular diets spike every January. Each promises weight loss and better overall health.
Some help people lose weight and lower blood pressure. Others fall into the category of fad diets.
Here are ten major diet trends and what research says about whether they actually work.
1. Mediterranean Diet
What Is It?
This eating pattern emphasizes olive oil, healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and minimally processed foods. It limits saturated fats, processed meats and added sugars.
How It Got Popular
Researchers studying heart disease noticed lower rates of heart disease in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean diet became widely recommended by health experts.
The Science
Controlled trials link it to lower cholesterol levels, reduced heart disease risk, and better overall health. It is a sustainable healthy diet.
2. DASH Diet
What Is It?
This eating plan focuses on fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, whole foods and fewer calories from saturated fats.
How It Got Popular
The DASH diet, short for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, was developed through federally funded research to lower blood pressure.
The Science
Studies show it can lower blood pressure and support a healthy weight. It is one of the most evidence-backed dietary approaches to stop high blood pressure.
3. Keto Diet
What Is It?
Ketogenic diet plans are very low-carbohydrate diets that push the body into ketosis, a state where it burns fat for fuel.
How It Got Popular
The keto diet exploded on social media as dramatic before and after weight lost stories circulated.
The Science
Some people lose weight quickly because they eat fewer calories and shed water weight. Long-term safety data are limited, and some versions are high in saturated fats and red meat. Many struggle to get enough nutrients from restricted food groups.
4. Intermittent Fasting
What Is It?
Instead of restricting certain foods, this approach limits when you eat foods.
How It Got Popular
Intermittent fasting gained traction through podcasts, books, and claims that humans ate this way during the Paleolithic era.
The Science
Some controlled trials show modest weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity. Results often come from consuming fewer calories overall rather than a unique metabolic advantage.
5. Atkins Diet
What Is It?
Like the keto diet, it restricts carbs and encourages higher fat and protein intake.
How It Got Popular
The Atkins diet became especially popular in the early 2000s as one of the original low-carbohydrate diets promising rapid weight loss.
The Science
Short-term weight loss can occur, but long-term results often mirror other weight loss diet strategies when calories are matched. High intake of processed meats may increase chronic disease risk.
6. Paleo Diet
What Is It?
This eating pattern removes dairy products, whole grains, and processed foods while emphasizing lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
How It Got Popular
The paleo diet markets itself on the idea that humans ate whole foods in the paleolithic era before agriculture.
The Science
While it cuts added sugars and processed foods, eliminating certain food groups can build it harder to get enough nutrients without careful planning.
7. Vegan Diet
What Is It?
A vegan diet eliminates all animal products—including honey, dairy products, and red meat—and centers on plan-based foods.
How It Got Popular
Growing concern about animal welfare, climate change, and health benefits pushed the vegan diet into the mainstream.
The Science
Research links it to lower cholesterol levels and reduced heart disease risk. Attention to vitamin B12, iron, and protein intake is key for immune system function and overall health.
8. Vegetarian Diet
What Is It?
By removing meat but often keeping dairy products and eggs, this eating plan can provide flexibility.
How It Got Popular
The vegetarian diet has deep roots in cultural and religious traditions, but it gained broader popularity through modern health movements.
The Science
When built around whole foods, unsaturated fats and non starchy vegetables, it supports a healthy weight and lower blood pressure.
9. Gluten Free Diet
How It Got Popular
Originally designed for people with celiac disease, the gluten-free diet expanded as a new diet trend among people without diagnosed intolerance.
The Science
For those with celiac disease, avoiding gluten prevents an immune reaction and intestinal damage. For others, weight loss may happen because they cut processed foods and certain foods high in refined grains.
There is little evidence of added benefit for people without gluten sensitivity.
10. Carnivore Diet
What Is It?
This plan removes plant-based foods entirely and focuses on animal products.
How It Got Popular
The carnivore diet rose from online communities promoting extreme, low-carbohydrate diets and anti-plant arguments.
The Science
While some people report short-term weight loss, health experts warn about high cholesterol, limited fiber, and potential health risks tied to saturated fats. Eliminating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may increase long-term chronic disease risk.