A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans may lead to an increased life span for women over those who adopt a more traditional diet.

More than 72,000 women were studied in a recent research group. The diets of the women were analyzed and researchers found women who ate diets rich in healthier foods were 17% less likely to die within the 18 year period studied.

Specifically, the women studied who ate “prudently” were nearly 30% less likely to die from heart disease or heart Stroke. The prudence of the diet was defined by their choice to eat more fruits, grains vegetables, beans, fish and lean poultry.

The women practicing a more westernized diet rich in fried foods, processed meats, sweet treats and refined grains were more likely to suffer health problems up to and including an earlier death.

The Western diet attributed for a 21% higher death rate than the prudent diet.

These findings are yet another reason for people to adopt a healthier diet. This healthier diet should focus more on overall eating patterns than individual foods, researchers explain.

The study focused on the more than 72,000 women and their life choices from 1984 until 2002. Every two to four years, the women filled out a survey about their eating habits and the choices they made in life such as smoking, Exercise habits and vitamin usage.

During the 18 years of the study, more than 6,000 women died. Researchers found that less than 1/5 of the women who chose the more prudent diet were apt to die within the studies years. The women who practiced the Western diet were 16% more likely to die from Cancer and 22% more likely to suffer from heart disease, Heart attack or stroke.