Take an informal survey of friends asked to name three diets, or do a quick Google search for “most popular diet,” and both will likely generate the same response: Mediterranean, paleo and keto.
However, none of those is the best heart-healthy diet for 2025 as ranked by “U.S. News & World Report’s” diverse panel of 69 experts.
After evaluating nutrition regimens for health risks, long-term sustainability, effectiveness and nutritional completeness, the magazine’s panel of medical professionals ranked DASH as No.1 for heart health.
The acronym stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. And unlike the usual dietary podium finishers, the diet, or rather lifestyle, doesn’t require consuming specific foods. Instead, it provides daily nutritional goals consisting of specific servings from food groups.
For example, someone on a daily 2,000-calorie diet should eat six or fewer servings of fish, meat or poultry and four to five fruits. Sodium content for the day must be less than 2300 milligrams. To reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure more, limit sodium to 1500 milligrams a day.
While DASH doesn’t require eating select foods the way keto mandates full-fat cheese and yogurt, it does recommend limiting the following: fatty cuts of meat, palm oil, sugary beverages, full-fat dairy, tropical oils, sweets and saturated fat.
Developed in 1997, DASH has been commended as a significant nutritional development. In 2017, after 20 years of data, three researchers from Duke University noted that “numerous trials have demonstrated that (DASH) consistently lowers blood pressure across a diverse range of patients with hypertension and prehypertension.”
And in a 2004 trial, researchers found that following the DASH diet and limiting sodium to 1500 milligrams a day lowered blood pressure as well as a commonly prescribed hypertension medication.
Although established as a diet to reduce hypertension, DASH is also endorsed by the National Kidney Foundation. Additionally, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommend the eating plan.
According to the U.S. Veterans Affairs Benefits and Health Care Division, DASH reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death and demonstrates the ability to improve the conditions of people with gout, kidney stones, heart failure and insulin resistance.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provides downloads of sample DASH meal plans for the following daily calorie counts: 1200 calories, 1400-1600 calories, 1800-2000 calories and 2600 calories.
DASH emphasizes consuming greater amounts of foods rich in potassium, calcium, fiber and magnesium. The daily meal planners from Veterans Affairs include foods rich in those nutrients.
Potassium supports the healthy function of the heart and muscles. Magnesium contributes to regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as the normal functioning of nerves and muscles.
Foods rich in both magnesium and potassium include beans, legumes, leafy greens, potatoes, bananas, milk, yogurt and canned fish such as tuna.
The DASH approach to nutrition is similar to MyPlate or the nation’s former food pyramid in that it covers a wide array of foods that fit cultural preferences.
Examples from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute include:
- Dairy: Buttermilk, fat-free milk, low- or reduced-fat cheese, fat-free and low-fat frozen or regular yogurt
- Fats: Vegetable oil (corn, olive, canola, safflower) light salad dressing, low-fat mayonnaise, soft margarine
- Fruits: Peaches, melons, strawberries, raisins, dates, apples, grapes, apricots, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, pineapples, tangerines
- Grains: Grits, brown rice, popcorn, pita bread, whole-wheat pasta, cereals, oatmeal, unsalted pretzels, bagels, whole-wheat bread and rolls, English muffins
- Nuts, Seeds, Legumes: Walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, split peas, lentils, almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts, kidney beans
- Proteins: Broiled, roasted or poached lean protein with fats trimmed away and poultry without skin
- Sugars, Sweets: Hard candy, maple syrup, fruit punch, sugar, fruit-flavored gelatin, jelly, sorbet and ices
In addition to its designation as 2025’s best heart-healthy diet, U.S. News & World Report ranked DASH as the second best diet for high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and gut health.
