Pizza

We were eating pizza, and I was finishing my third slice when my little boy asked me if pizza is a healthy food. I was not really sure what to tell him because although I believe that pizza has some health benefits, I also thought that there might be some ingredients in pizza that could be harmful to one’s health. So, I told my son that daddy was not really sure about the answer to his question and had to do a little reading about it. After reading a little about pizza, here’s what I found out.

Pizza was once believed to be a “not really healthy food”  because most people put it under the class of fast food and align it with the likes of hamburgers and french fries. This has created a misconception that pizza is a junk food. But pizza is a different kind of “fast food” because it has lots of ingredients that are really good for the health. One of the healthiest ingredient in pizza is tomato which has lycopene, an agent that can help prevent some types of cancers. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School report that consumption of tomato could provide protection against the development of prostate cancer.

The toppings of pizza also can have health benefits. Onions are a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Red pepper is also rich in vitamins A, B6, and C. The cheese in pizza is also good for your health, especially your dental health. Cheese contains not only high quality protein and calcium but also nutrients like phosphorus, vitamin A, and zinc. The calcium in cheese is good for your teeth and bones. If what you eat is vegetable pizza, then the more health benefits that you’ll get from it. The dough in pizza also can contribute some good to your health. Unknown to many of us, the dough in pizza contains antioxidants.

So the next time you come face to face with pizza, don’t be guilty, eat a slice or two and enjoy life. Pizza is a healthy fast food after all.