According to the researches, held by a group of scientists from the University of Florence under the guidance of Francesco Sofi, the Mediterranean diet helps to reduce death-rate from cancer by 6% and by 9% from heart diseases. The likelihood to develop Alzheimer's and Parkinson is reduced by as much as 13%.

Italians eat a lot of fish, pasta, vegetables and fruits, while olive oil is present in many of their dishes.

These key elements of Italian cuisine help the body to withstand not only many aging-associated diseases, but also typical diseases of the "Western way of life."

Sofi’s group carefully analyzed the results of twelve studies on nutrition and healthy lifestyle, which involved 1.5 million people. The scientists from Florence University gave them points depending on how strictly the given subjects had adhered to the diet. The results revealed that among those who were adhering to the diet, the total mortality from any disease was by 9% lower than among other participants in the research.

So, all of you fans of traditional Italian cuisine have a real opportunity to join the nine per cent of lucky ones who are destined (according to the findings of Francesco Sofi’s group) to live a longer and happier life.