Eat for Health: Pizza is officially good for you!

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | August 17th, 2010

Italians know best when it comes to pizza and according to research spanning a decade, pizza is officially good for your health - Italian pizza, that is.

Italians are passionate about pizza and one group of researchers have dedicated much time and effort to defining pizza's numerous health benefits.

Traditional Italian pizza comprises of a thin dough base topped with a homemade tomato sauce topped with fresh mozarella. Additional toppings such as meats and vegetables are second to the pizza itself. As a balanced meal providing a mix of carbohydrates, protein and vegetables, a simple Italian pizza almost high marks and, according to the journal Circulation in 2002, contains significantly fewer bad fats making pizza less likely to clog arteries and cause health complications than other typical Italian meals.

The majority of the research around pizza's health benefits has been conducted by Silvano Gallus of the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, Milan. The research, published in the International Journal of Cancer and the Journal of Clinical Nutrition among others, has shown that pizza is not necessarily

linked to heart disease and health problems as commonly thought and could indeed be beneficial. Although research conclusions were non-decisive for Gallus' studies, the research has tentatively linked pizza consumption to reduced risk of certain cancers and reduced risk of high cholesterol.

Gallus' research does not define pizza as a health-beneficial food, but it does go someway to dismissing the idea that pizza is a 'bad' food. A regular diet of western style pizza smothered in extra cheese and multiple meats may well cause high cholesterol and health complications; a true Italian pan however can be seen as a reflection of the Mediterranean diet renowned for health benefits, thereby making regular pizza meals part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Bon appetite!

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