A team of researchers through a recent study found that foodies are much healthier and have a lower body mass index (BMI) as compared to those who prefer eating less outside their strict diet schedule.

Researchers from the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University for the study surveyed just over 500 women from across the United States.

Researchers studied food habits, perceptions of novel foods, weight satisfaction, and a number of physical, psychological and lifestyle characteristics of the study’s participants.

The study participants were asked questionnaire like if they had tried 16 foods not typically from American diet, including beef tongue, seitan, polenta, Kimchi, and bean sprouts.

According to study authors, adventurous eaters were those who ate at least nine of the 16 foods that were mentioned in the questionnaire. The results showed that the foodies in the group rated themselves as healthier eaters, more physically active, and more concerned with the healthfulness of their food when compared with non-adventurous eaters.

Researchers found that adventurous eaters also had a lower body mass index (BMI). “These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people - especially women - to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet”, study co-author Brain Wansink said in a statement.

Lauren Graf, clinical dietitian for the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Health System in New York City, affirmed that she often recommends her patients to try new, more diverse foods in order to help them develop healthier habits.