Making Your Restaurant Better

Love Your Pizza? 4 Reasons Why Pizza Is Good For You

6 July 2016

Virginia Caballero

You love pizza. Unfortunately, everyone keeps telling you how unhealthy it is. If you're trying to watch what you eat, your well-meaning friends may be trying to convince you to eliminate pizza from your diet altogether. Luckily, you don't have to. It turns out that pizza isn't as bad for you as some people might think. Here are four reasons why pizza is good for you.

It's a Good Source of Antioxidants

Look at any good pizza and you'll see a rich, red tomato sauce. That tomato sauce is packed full of ripe tomatoes, that contain antioxidants. Research has found that antioxidants are nature's way of combating the free radicals that can cause blood vessel disease. The same research finds that antioxidants can help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and macular degeneration.

All the Food Groups Are Represented

When you bite into a piece of pizza, you have the benefit of knowing that all the major food groups are represented, including dairy and grains, especially if you choose a whole-wheat crust. Pizza may be the only food you can eat that will satisfy the food groups with a one-course meal.

You Can Load It Full of Fruits and Vegetables

As stated above, pizza allows you to satisfy the food pyramid, however, it also helps you get your daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Experts recommend that you get between 5 and 9 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. When you load your pizza full of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach, you're working towards meeting that daily requirement.

Research Says It Fights Cancer

If you need one more reason to keep pizza on the menu, here's a big one. Research has found that pizza fights cancer. The lycopene found in tomatoes is effective in reducing your chances of developing cancer. The same study found that eating pizza can reduce your chances of developing colon cancer by as much as 26% and mouth cancer by about 34%. Those are significant cancer-prevention numbers.

If you've been looking for a reason to keep pizza on the menu, the information provided above gives you three good reasons. A few slices of thin crust pizza each week, drizzled with a small amount of olive oil will give you the health benefits you've been looking for. It's important to note that you shouldn't load your pizza full of high-sodium meats if you want to maintain the health benefits of your pizza. 

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