Those who want today's news to be that the Mediterranean diet has been proven superior to other truly good diets will need to wait until tomorrow, or longer. We had previously lacked any good head-to-head comparisons of "best diet" candidates, and we still do.

No one thing is wrong with the prevailing American diet, and no one-nutrient-at-a-time remedy will right it any more than a single part represents the whole elephant in the room. We need to see that elephant -- and develop a better recipe.

The latest rankings from U.S. News.

Which one earned the top spot on this year's list?

The conversation regarding what constitutes the ideal diet for optimal wellness and longevity is an ongoing and exhausting debate. Experts from each respective dietary camp have a plethora of data pointing to their case for why their particular system is the gold standard.

Many foods can be eaten raw, and many foods are the better for it. An emphasis on eating mostly plants is irrefutably good, be they raw or cooked. But the case for raw food diets is oversold, the rhetoric is overheated, and the claims of universal benefits -- substantially overcooked.

We need dietary guidance that is explicit about foods people should and shouldn't eat. Guidance that says once and for all, "If it glows in the dark -- whether it's low in fructose or not, low in fat or not, low in sodium or not -- step away from the box, and nobody will get hurt!"

The religious overlay that nutrition has taken on is neither holy nor wholesome. It precludes us from breaking bread together. It forestalls the public health progress that could occur if we could all find a seat at a common table.

U.S. News evaluated and ranked the 25 diets below with input from a panel of health experts. To be top-rated, a diet had to be relatively easy to foll...

When it comes to heart health, the No. 1 dietary approach is the Ornish Diet, according to a ranking of 25 diets by U.S. News and World Report release...

By Kurtis Hiatt, U.S. News Not all diet plans are nutritious and safe. A new U.S. News ranking rates diets' healthiness. Weight lost doesn't alw...

So, do we know what diet is "best"? No, we do not. And anyone who claims we know decisively what specific diet is best for health is either misguided, selling something or both.

Drumroll, please. When US News and World Report tasked a group of 22 health experts with ranking the best eating regimes, the DASH diet came out on t...