668
Views
4
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Studies in humans

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet by vegetarians and vegans as compared to omnivores

ORCID Icon, , , &
Pages 378-387 | Received 03 May 2019, Accepted 28 Aug 2019, Published online: 26 Sep 2019
 

Abstract

To assess adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedD) by vegetarians and vegans compared to omnivores, we recruited an internet-based convenience sample of 565, 151 and 514 Israeli (>20 years) vegans, vegetarians and omnivores. Studies assessing vegetarians’ and vegans’ adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedD) are scarce. We recruited an internet-based convenience sample of 565, 151 and 514 Israeli vegans, vegetarians and omnivores, mostly female with a normal weight. We assessed their MedD scores (MedDS) and their food groups’ consumption by two food frequency questionnaires: (1) Trichopoulou’s MedDS (range 0–9); (2) Literature-based MedDS (LBMedDS) (range 0–18). We found that vegans tend to consume significantly more legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables than omnivores. The multivariable-adjusted odds for high MedDS (a score ≥4) (compared to omnivores) assessed by Trichopoulou’s score were: 32.35-fold higher in vegans (95% CI, 21.43–48.84) and 3.13-fold higher in vegetarians (95% CI, 2.06–4.76). Using the LBMedDS, vegans had 2.30-fold higher odds for high MedD adherence (a score ≥12) and vegetarians 1.66-fold higher odds compared to omnivores. In conclusion, we found a higher MedD adherence among vegans and vegetarians compared to omnivores.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Oded Streigold for his technical support.

Disclosure statement

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article. The study protocol was a priori approved by The Institutional Review Board of Tel-Aviv university. Kerem Avital work as a dietitian in “Animals Now” organization. All other authors declare no conflict of interest

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 61.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 910.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.