Health benefits of pizza

The Great Misconception

Many of us would categorize pizza as a type of fast food, putting it together with many of the greasy and unhealthy meals such as hamburgers and cheeseburgers. However, this is certainly not the case. Although pizza is often sold the same way as those other fast foods, it contains so much healthy and nutritive elements that is can simply not be on the same list.

The Healthy Pizza

Believe it or not, one of the main qualities of pizza lies in the tomato, one of the main ingredients. Tomato contains a certain antioxidant, highly beneficial in fighting and preventing many types of cancer, especially that of the mouth and stomach, colon or lungs. It is an interesting fact that the processed tomato found in pizza contains even higher concentration of this antioxidant due to the water extraction during the production process. Pizza dough is also rich with some important antioxidants and, miraculously, some can even be amplified during the baking process.

Other Healthy Ingredients

The list does not stop here. For example, onions, being the common ingredient, rich in vitamins, lower the sugar levels in one’s blood and level the blood pressure. Olives and red pepper without which most of us cannot even imagine our pizza, are excellent for regulating cholesterol and are rich with vitamins as well.

The Endless Possibility of Pizza

One of the main qualities and characteristics of pizza is its diversity. Its basics being the dough, tomatoes, cheese and some vegetables, you are free to combine many other, possibly healthy elements with it. This way, you yourself are able to boost the nutritive and health value of this meal.

For example, by adding chicken, or any other meat, you enrich your pizza with carbohydrates and proteins. Also, by adding many different types of vegetables, you may increase the vitamin value and diversity, making it even healthier for you to consume. It does not stop here, however, since you can modify the dough and the sauces as well as types of cheese which go into your pizza. The toppings may vary as well since you can even include different types of fruit and even eggs, making the list practically endless. That being said, the health benefits of this meal truly depends only on you and your own creativity.

Conclusion

Pizza is not a fast food meal. Pizza is what you make. If you have the will and are creative enough, by getting just a little bit of information, you can make this meal contain all the healthy ingredients our organism may need daily and thus show the true power and value of this, truly remarkable dish.