WASHINGTON — US News & World Report added 12 new categories to its best diets report, its 15th edition issued Jan. 3, but the top overall diet was more of the same. For the eighth straight year, the Mediterranean diet held on to the top spot, with a ranking of 4.8, followed by the DASH diet at 4.6, the flexitarian diet at 4.5 and the MIND diet at 4.4.

Among the 12 new diet categories, the Mediterranean diet was first in eight categories: mental health, prediabetes, gut health, diverticulitis, inflammation, high cholesterol, arthritis and fatty liver. Other leaders in the new categories were the MIND diet for brain, health and cognition; DASH for high blood pressure; low-FODMAP for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); and the menopause diet for menopause.

The Mediterranean diet also received No. 1 rankings for the easiest diet to follow and the best diet for healthy eating. Other leaders were the flexitarian diet for the best plant-based diet, Weight Watchers for best weight loss diet, Jenny Craig for best fast weight-loss diet and DASH for best heart-healthy diet

“By moving away from a ranked list of diets and nearly doubling our number of evaluated health and lifestyle categories, US News aims to provide consumers with a more personalized experience as they consider their health priorities and eating goals,” said Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health at US News.