These were the 10 most popular diets of 2018, according to Google

Even though research shows that adopting a healthy eating plan you can stick to for life is a better tactic than yo-yo dieting, people are always intrigued by the latest strategy for losing weight in a hurry.

Google has published its list of the trendiest, most searched diets of 2018. According to our Google searches, there seem to be two key strategies. Dieters seem to be curious about various kinds of high-fat, low carb plans like the keto diet, as well as schemes that ask people to restrict their eating to certain hours of the day or certain days of the week.

Given that more than 9 out of 10 internet searches in the world are performed on Google or its subsidiary YouTube, the search engine's list of trends is probably a decent gauge of what diets people were trying this year. But it's worth remembering that Google's annual trends are based on which search terms had the biggest spike in 2018 as compared to 2017. That means some oddball diets may have landed on this top 10 list simply because they're new and novel, so people were searching for information about how they work.

Perennial classic diets like Atkins and Weight Watchers didn't make this list, but here are the 10 eating plans that did.

The Keto diet was the trendiest of 2018, based on Google searches. But the high-fat regimen isn't easy to follow.

Keto diets are high-fat: people going keto often aim for about 70-80% of daily calories from fat, and no sugar. BusinessInsider

It's no surprise that the keto diet kept the internet curious this year — stars like

The Dubrow Diet is a new plan from reality TV husband-and-wife pair Heather and Terry Dubrow. In many ways, it's just an intermittent fasting routine.

Terry Dubrow and Heather Dubrow developed a diet that's similar to intermittent fasting. BusinessInsider

Terry Dubrow catapulted to fame on the TV show "Botched," and he and his wife Heather co-starred in "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

They're leveraging that fame to tout a diet plan that's essentially a version of intermittent fasting, a regimen in which dieters spend up to 16 hours a day fasting, and confine their eating to an 8-hour window.

"If you know how to eat in certain timed intervals, you will on a daily basis preferentially break down your fat in a very rapid way," Terry Dubrow told Dr. Phil on his show in October when the book was published (by a company owned in part by Dr. Phil's son). "You'll send your body, physiologically, into an anti-aging state."

One reason the Dubrow plan may be effective is that it keeps people from mindlessly snacking all day. But fasting also has the potential to increase ketone levels in the body.

The Dubrow diet consists of three phases: first, there is an extremely restrictive phase, with no alcohol allowed for the first 2-5 days. Then the diet opens up to include more foods and brings back alcohol. The third and final phase is more relaxed and focused on maintenance.

The couple claims that 100 adults who tried the diet for six months under the Dubrows' supervision lost between 33 to 86 pounds. But rapid weight loss doesn't always lead to long-term results, and yo-yo dieting can have serious consequences for your heart.

Noom is a weight-loss app that provides users with individualized feedback.

Noom is a weight-loss app that provides users with individualized feedback. BusinessInsider

The carnivore diet is exactly what it sounds like — followers only eat animal products.

The carnivore diet is exactly what it sounds like — followers only eat animal products. BusinessInsider

n," Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, told the Guardian.

The Mediterranean Diet turns up in study after study as one of the best for our brains, bodies, and longevity.

The Mediterranean Diet turns up in study after study as one of the best for our brains, bodies, and longevity. BusinessInsider

The eating plan favors fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats from foods like fish, nuts, olive oil, and avocados. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is one of the best for losing weight and keeping your heart and brain healthy.

This is especially true because people on the plan tend to shy away from processed foods, which have been linked to higher rates of cancer and tend to pack in added sugar, promoting weight gain.

Going Mediterranean may even help improve symptoms of moderate to severe depression. One study published in May suggested that the plant-heavy diet improved patients' moods while saving them around $20 a week (probably because they were preparing more home-cooked meals).

Optavia is a diet coaching scheme that involves a branded line of diet snacks, breakfasts, and drinks.

Optavia is a diet coaching scheme that involves a branded line of diet snacks, breakfasts, and drinks. BusinessInsider

Optavia is the re-branding of another diet regimen that you may recognize: Take Shape for Life, from Medifast.

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Optavia dieters can buy Optavia-brand food like peanut butter chocolate chip breakfast bars, strawberry shakes, and cookies. They also stay in touch with coaches (who are often paid veterans of the weight-loss program) via phone and email checkups.

Surgeon Stephen Gundry, who's behind the Dr. Gundry diet plan, says you're at "war" with your genes, and certain foods are to blame. Gundry's diet advice is popular among searchers in his home state of California, but the nutrition science is questionable.

Tomatoes are not the enemy. BusinessInsider

Gundry has authored two books on dieting, along with a cookbook.

His latest book, "The Plant Paradox," published in 2017, villanizes plant proteins called lectins, which are in lots of foods, including grains, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Kelly Clarkson loves the eating regimen, but experts in nutrition do not.

Fasting diets also drew people's interest this year. There's evidence that periodic fasting may sometimes slow aging.

Bone broth is becoming a popular way to maintain a fasting state. BusinessInsider

Scientists are at work on novel drugs that could one day mimic the health-boosting effects of being in a low-calorie state, without starving people.

FODMAP dieters shy away from sugar.

FODMAP dieters shy away from sugar. BusinessInsider

The Shepherd’s Diet is billed as "biblically inspired," but it's similar to a lot of the other diets on this list.

The Shepherd’s Diet is billed as "biblically inspired," but it's similar to a lot of the other diets on this list. BusinessInsider

This diet is the foundation of a 2017 book from Colorado-based piano and voice teacher Kristina Wilds.

Like many others, it encourages people to eat more fat and fewer carbs. It sounds strikingly like keto, with a sprinkling of religion added in:

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These were the 10 most popular diets of 2018, according to Google

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