by Rocket

Created on: October 25, 2008

Pizza is definitely healthy. There is tomato sauce, which Dr. Oz from Ofrah Winfrey says will contribute to good health and has cancer preventive qualities. Tomatos are a good source of vitamin C, and when they are cooked in a sauce, they are even better. Also tomatoes are low in calories!

Cheese is one of the ingredients that have people falling all over themselves saying that pizza is an artery clogger. Cheese does have a high degree of cholesterol, but in my opinion, per calorie, cheese is the perfect food. The reason that is, is because cheese has the highest amount of calcium per gram than any other food, except tahine. Adults and children need a lot of calcium for strong bones, and even though calcium can be found in other foods, it cannot be found in large enough amounts. Cheese also has a high amount of protein per calorie and per gram. Protein is brain food and one of the most essential requirements of a daily diet. Cheese also has enzymes which promote good dental health, protecting your teeth and gums for hours against bacteria. Usually the cheese used on pizza is mozarella, which is a low cal cheese, and low cholesterol compared to other cheeses. So, even though cheese is high in calories and cholesterol and fat, it is also very high in protein and calcium.

Comparatively, meat, which also provides high protein, does not provide calcium. So think about that.

The crust is also problematic for many people. If made with white flour, pizza not only has a lot of calories, but does not have any fiber and is missing several vitamins. If the crust is made out of whole wheat whole grain flour, it would have fiber, which is so essential to everyone, and over 14 vitamins that white flour does not have, . This contributes to pizza's healthy properties.

Add onions on top, maybe some mushrooms, and you have added health. Onions are healthy for you and have healing properties, and mushrooms have potassium, which you need.

Maybe pepperoni and anchovies are not so healthy, but the amounts added on the pizza are not really significant enough to cause a problem.

A couple pieces of pizza will give you vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B's (if using wholewheat flour), one third of your daily protein needs, and probably a third of your daily calcium needs. It will probably also give you half your caloric needs for the day, but keep in mind, pizza is filling, and you may not eat other things, which might have the same or smaller calorie count but lacks the nutrition..

Maybe, if you are afraid pizza may be unhealthy, skip the the soft drinks that come with it. Drink water or fruit juice.

For small children, pizza is ideal. They need the calories and the nutrition. Most children are partial to "junk food", and unlike fast food burgers, fries, tacos and hotdogs, this food contributes!

So the next time someone chants the "Pizza is unhealthy" mantra, if you want a piece, eat one, and then tell them all the things I have just told you. Maybe they will begin to see the light.

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