Is This The World’s Healthiest Diet?

Pass the pickled veggies and sashimi, please!

That’s what people are eating in Japan, and it’s helping them live longer. A new, massive study—which followed nearly 80,000 people over 15 years—reveals that people who adhered to Japan’s governmental dietary guidelines had a 15 percent lower mortality rate. And it may be because of their fish-, and plant-heavy diets, Time reports.

On average, Japanese women have a life expectancy of 87 years, and Japanese men are expected to live to be around 80. In fact, Japanese women have the greatest longevity in the world, Time reports.

Why are they living longer than anyone else?

Unlike the US recommended diet, Japan’s food guidelines recommend 5–7 servings of grains; 5–6 servings of vegetables; 3–5 servings of fish, meat, or protein; 2 servings of milk products; 2 servings of fruit; and snacks and alcohol in moderation. (And many of the participants, particularly the women, regularly drank green tea.)

For more on why Americans aren’t hitting their recommended diet, read the full article here.