Mediterranean Diet More Expensive

NAVARRA, Spain—While the Mediterranean diet may be healthier than the typical Western diet, the cost of following it can be prohibitive for some consumers, according to a new study from the University of Navarra.

Researchers surveyed 17,197 university graduates for the cross-sectional baseline assessment and followed a total of 11,195 from December 1999 to February 2008. They used a 136-item food questionnaire to determine whether their diets were more Western or more Mediterranean. Average food costs were calculated from Spanish government data.

Participants with highest scores on the Western dietary pattern (fifth quintile vs. first quintile), spent less money:-0.64 (-0.80 $) per 1,000 kcal (95% CI: -0.68 to -0.61 , p for trend <0.001) on their daily food costs whereas the opposite was true for the Mediterranean dietary pattern: +0.71 (+0.90 $) (95% CI: +0.67 to +0.74 , p for trend <0.001). After adjusting for dietary pattern scores and other potential confounders higher daily food costs consumption were significantly associated with greater weight gain.