(CNN) Followers of the Paleo Diet may go prehistoric on U.S. News World Report this week. The publication has ranked the controversial diet last on its Best Diets Overall list for 2014.
Each year U.S. News World Report asks experts to rank various nutrition plans to help consumers make informed decisions. This year the panel evaluated 32 of the most popular diets.
To be top rated a diet has to be relatively easy to follow nutritious safe effective for weight loss and protective against diabetes and heart disease.
First popularized in the 1970s the Paleo Diet asks people to follow a diet similar to those who lived during the Paleolithic era between 2.6 million and 10 000 years ago. This means eating like hunters and gathers consuming lots of produce and animal protein while avoiding sugar grains legumes and dairy altogether.
If the cavemen didn't eat it you shouldn't either U.S. News World Report summarized.
The diet has gained a significant following in recent years especially among the Crossfit crowd. Paleo Diet was the most searched diet term on Google in 2013.
U.S. News World Report's experts cited a lack of research proving the Paleo Diet's cardiovascular health and weight loss benefits as well as its restrictiveness in their ranking.
The Paleo Diet tied for last place on the list alongside the Dukan diet which is also a high protein low carbohydrate approach.
For the fourth year in a row the DASH Diet Eating Plan was named the best overall diet. DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension was developed by the National Institutes of Health for people with high blood pressure. But it is also effective in lowering cholesterol and reducing a person's risk for heart disease stroke kidney stones and diabetes its website states.
Unlike many diet plans DASH doesn't cut out or extremely restrict certain foods. Its focus is on limiting daily sodium intake. The meal plan includes three whole grain products each day four to six servings of vegetables four to six servings of fruit two to four servings of dairy products and several servings each of lean meats and nuts/seeds/legumes.
The diet's only downfalls the expert panel said are that it takes some grunt work to adhere to and that it may cost more than a diet based on processed fatty sugary foods.
Following DASH on the best overall list was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet which also was created by the National Institutes of Health. Next in line were the Mayo Clinic Diet the Mediterranean Diet and Weight Watchers all tied for third place. This is the same as last year's ranking.
U.S. News World Report also published several other lists including best weight loss diets best diabetes diets best commercial diet plans and easiest diets to follow.
Weight Watchers topped the best weight loss best commercial diet plan and easiest to follow lists. Also high on several lists were the Jenny Craig plan and The Biggest Loser plan.
For more visit U.S. News World Report's Best Diets Rankings.
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