July 20, 2003 — There was good news for lovers of pizza on Sunday when a study revealed that eating the hugely popular meal-on-a-plate on a regular basis could help stave off certain forms of cancer.
The eating habits of over 3,000 Italians suffering from cancer of the stomach or digestive tract were monitored during the study and compared with a sample of about 5,000 people suffering from other diseases, daily La Repubblica reported.
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The results showed that people who ate pizza once or several times a week were less likely to get cancer than those who chose not to eat it at all.
According to the study carried out by the Pharmacology Institute in the northern city of Milan, the risks of getting mouth, esophagal or colon cancer plunged by as much as 34 percent, 59 percent and 26 percent respectively.
The secret, according to Silvano Gallus who led the research, appeared to be connected to the preventive properties of the humble tomato.
"We knew that tomato sauce could offer protection against certain tumours, but we did not expect pizza as a complete meal also to offer such protective powers," he said.
However a warning note was sounded by Milan-based epidemiologist Carlo La Vecchia aimed at millions who may feel they now have the ultimate excuse to indulge their craving: "There is nothing to indicate that pizza is the only thing responsible for these results," he said.
La Vecchia said the health benefits of the tomato, which is rich in anti-oxidants, have long been known.
"Pizza could simply be indicative of a lifestyle and food habits, in other words the Italian version of a Mediterranean diet," he said.
Mediterranean food is traditionally rich in olive oil, fibre, vegetables, fruit, flour and freshly cooked food, including non-frozen, home-made pizza.
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