Both a Mediterranean-style diet and a vegan diet can help stave off heart disease, but the latter is more affordable, according to a small study published Nov. 4. 2024, in JAMA Network Open.
The study included 62 people randomly assigned to follow a low-fat vegan diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans or a Mediterranean diet, which focused on fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and extra-virgin olive oil.
After 16 weeks, they resumed their regular diet for a month before switching to the opposite diet for another 16 weeks. To estimate food costs, researchers relied on participants' diet records, which were linked to a federal database of national food prices based on the consumer price index.
On average, the vegan diet cut food costs by 19% compared with a standard American diet that included animal products. The Mediterranean diet was slightly more expensive (about 60 cents more per day) than the standard American diet.
Following a vegan diet could save nearly over $900 per year compared with a Mediterranean diet, according to the study authors.
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