In the past it was commonly believed that pizza was not really a
healthy food. Part of the reason for this is that it was put in the same
group as other fast foods, such as hamburgers and fries. This is a
major misconception, as pizza can actually be a highly nutritional meal.
One
of the main ingredients of pizza is the tomato, which contains
lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene is known to help fight many
different types of cancer. Studies have shown that people who eat pizza
at least once a week were much less likely to develop colon and mouth
cancer as well as stomach and lung cancer. It is known to be especially
helpful in fighting prostate cancer. Studies have shown that eating
pizza can lower your chance of developing esophageal cancer by nearly
59%.
It is the tomato that is the main cancer-fighting ingredient
of pizza. Incredibly, studies have also shown that processed tomatoes
such as those found in pizza or spaghetti sauce are actually higher in
lycopene than fresh tomatoes. The reason for this is that during the
process of cooking and processing the tomatoes, the water content
evaporates leaving a higher concentration of the antioxidant.
Tomato
sauce is extremely healthy, and for this reason so is pizza, but there
are additional pizza toppings that can also enhance your health. Onions
are rich in chromium, vitamin C, and fiber. They help to lower your
blood sugar, cholesterol as well as blood pressure. Black olives are
another great addition to pizza. Olives contain ingredients that help
ward off heart disease and lower your cholesterol. The red pepper is a
great pizza topping. They are sweet and tasty as well as full of Vitamin
C, A, and B6.
Another health benefit of pizza is the dough. In
actuality, pizza dough is another ingredient of pizza that is high in
antioxidants, and through certain baking techniques the antioxidants in
the dough can actually be increased.
Adding even more health
benefits to pizza is simple. A vegetable pizza with just a little cheese
is a very healthy food. You get the great taste and health benefits of
pizza without all the extra fat and cholesterol normally associated with
meats and cheese. If you are a meat fanatic and just can't handle your
pizza without meat, you can always add some grilled chicken to your
vegetable pizza. Chicken offers many health benefits that other meats
don't, and it tastes great.
With the many health benefits of pizza, it can no longer be viewed in the same light as other fast foods.
