There are countless perks to adopting a Mediterranean diet, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. But if you're hoping to make the switch, a new report in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggests you'll need quite a bit of money to reap the health benefits.
A group of researchers from the Moli-Sani Project conducted a study to determine how socioeconomics can alter the effects of a Mediterranean diet.
To do so, they examined the eating habits of 18,000 people from 2005 to 2010. In addition to monitoring their food intake, they also gathered information such as their physical activity, body mass index, health history, education and household income.
They noted the types of fruits, vegetables and meats the participants consumed, placing them into categories such as organic or not or whole-grain or not. They also recorded the way the meals were prepared, marking them fried, baked, boiled and so on.
At the end of the nearly five-year period, there were 5,256 heart disease events.
After analyzing the all of the data, scientists found that the Mediterranean diet was most beneficial to those with higher incomes or levels of education.
Why the disparity?
Researchers believe quality of foods may play a role.
Read more here.
