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A Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, but mostly for the rich
STATES CHRONICLE – Many studies have shown how eating fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, grains, and proteins coming from a different source than meat is great for health. All these types of food form a Mediterranean diet, which is said to keep heart disease away. However, a new study suggests this applies only to rich people.
You have more health benefits if you’re rich
The Moli-sani Study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, suggests all these great benefits of following a Mediterranean diet only apply to wealthy people. This strictly has to do with how good the food is, as products of high quality are not exactly cheap.
Italian scientists have been developing this Moli-sani Study since 2005. They sent questionnaires and monitored the health of 18,000 people living in the southern part of the country. This is how they discovered that social and economic factors have had a great influence on the results of the study.
Disparity between people with a higher and a lower socioeconomic status
All people followed the classic Mediterranean diet, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, dairy, and cereals. Although they consumed more or less the same type of products in the same quantity, not all of them could enjoy the same health benefits.
Those who had a better economic status and a higher education level had a smaller cardiovascular risk than the other participants. This happened since they could afford buying products of a better quality, which as important as it is quantity and the frequency of consumption. Also, these people chose more diverse foods, which is, again, really important.
Getting food of the best quality, as well as fish and fresh produce, is quite difficult if you don’t have a great economic status. This explains the discrepancy between these people who, at first glance, follow the same diet. Choosing a Mediterranean lifestyle still remains a healthy option, but the benefits are more visible if you can afford buying the best products.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
