There are several different diet tribes out there, each claiming theirs is the best for human health and longevity.
Here are a few of the most popular ones:
- Plant-Based / Vegan — If vegetables are good, more must be better according to this camp. Taken to the extreme, plants are exclusively eaten without any animal products allowed at all (including eggs & dairy).
- Keto / Low Carb, High Fat — On the other end of the spectrum is a ketogenic diet, characterized by low carb & high fat intake. This often includes high amounts of animal products and relatively few fruits and vegetables (and no grains). Taken to the extreme, people eat exclusively animal products (called the carnivore diet).
- High Protein, Low Carb, Lower Fat — More recently, a subset of the low carb group has prioritized higher levels of protein, while simultaneously limiting fat. This group keeps both carbs and fat relatively low, primarily eating leaner cuts of meat and non-starchy, fibrous vegetables. Even ‘healthy’ fats are minimized, including nuts and olive oil.
Like most things, the truth usually sits somewhere in the middle. In the case of nutrition, the diet with consistently best outcomes is the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet doesn’t have as many ‘gurus’ as the above tribes, probably because…
