11.01.10
The purchase of plant-based foods may offer the best investment for dietary health, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. While few studies have evaluated the cost of a diet that may prevent cardiovascular disease, high scores on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) have been associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. For this study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health sought to evaluate the cost of a dietary pattern that may prevent cardiovascular disease among U.S. women. By using food-cost data from the USDA, researchers explored relations between spending on food and AHEI scores among 78,191 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study. By using linear regression, they estimated the change in AHEI score (range: 2.5–87.5) for a $1 increase in spending on various food groups. Study participants in the highest energy-adjusted spending quintile spent 124% as much money each day as those in the lowest quintile. Greater spending on nuts, soy and beans, and whole grains was associated with a higher AHEI score. Greater spending on red and processed meats and high-fat dairy was associated with a lower AHEI score. Researchers concluded that while spending more money was associated with a healthier diet, large improvements in diet may be achieved without increased spending.