by A recent study published in Nutrients has shed light on the potential nutritional benefits of popular fad diets. The research evaluated the dietary quality of the most popular fad diets in the United States and highlighted opportunities for improving their nutritional value.
It is widely known that the typical American diet is high in unhealthy fats, sodium, sugar, and calories, with an overconsumption of refined grains, animal proteins, and alcoholic beverages. In addition, a large portion of Americans fail to meet the recommended intake of fruits, vegetables, and fibers.
Despite efforts to promote healthy eating through educational programs and policies, most Americans do not follow public dietary guidelines. This is evidenced by the low scores on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) from 2005 to 2016. It is reported that 17% of American adults followed a special diet between 2015 and 2018.
To address the need for improved dietary quality, the researchers conducted a comprehensive study on popular fad diets in the USA. They identified the most common fad dietary patterns through extensive research and analyzed their dietary quality based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
The researchers evaluated eight popular fad diets, including plant-based/vegan, fasting, paleolithic, ketogenic, carnivore, and liquid diets. They created one-week menus for each diet to ensure compliance with the DGAs.
Using the Automated Self-Administered 24 h dietary assessment tool, the researchers analyzed the menus for nutritional content and calculated HEI scores. The results revealed a range of scores, with the lowest being 26.7 for the Carnivore Diet and the highest being 89.1 for the Low-FODMAP Diet.
The diets that scored the highest on the HEI included the low-FODMAP, vegan, military, fasting, and DGA-compliant diets. These diets showed potential for high dietary quality when adhering to the DGAs.
The study also highlighted areas of concern in terms of nutrient deficiencies. Calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and fiber were identified as nutrients that are often underconsumed by Americans. The paleolithic diet adequately supplemented vitamin D, while calcium was adequate in all diets except paleolithic, carnivore, and ketogenic.
Overall, the study concluded that popular fad diets have the potential to promote health if carefully planned to comply with dietary guidelines. By making small changes within the parameters of the diets, it is possible to improve their nutritional quality. The findings suggest that popular fad diets should not be dismissed outright, as they can offer nutritional benefits when properly managed.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
