According to recent research conducted in Italy, America’s well-loved ‘meat and potatoes’ can not contribute a whole lot when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Colleagues at the University of Florence looked over twelve studies from around the world, which tracked the eating habits of 1.5 million people over a three to eighteen year period. Brimming with such ample information, they were able to offer up an alternative to the customary American diet, which although foreign, has a much stronger chance of preventing disease and chronic illness.

The Italian experts suggest a strict meal plan that follows the traditional Mediterranean diet. What does this mean for those so used to red meat and heavily preservative-laden snacks? Most will have to undergo a complete diet overhaul with the addition of significant amounts of fruits and vegetables. Red meat, dairy products and alcohol are rarely seen, replaced by healthier fish dishes and olive oil.

This may sound like pure torture for many, but the findings found by these researchers far outweigh the sacrifice. People who were able to fully stick to a Mediterranean diet saw an important decline in serious diseases. There was a nine percent reduction in death from heart disease, a six percent reduction in various cancers and a thirteen percent reduction in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diagnoses.

Furthermore, the team also created a scoring system that would conclude how diligently people follow this proposed diet. With it, they wrote, "The adherence score...could be an effective preventative tool for reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity in the general population."

For those still unconvinced, I will leave you to Francesco Sofi, a clinical nutrition researcher and participant in this study’s words: "These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, particularly for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for primary prevention of major chronic diseases."