It's the junk food junkie's wildest dream come true -- pizza as health
food.
University of Maryland food chemists said on Monday they had found ways
to enhance the antioxidant content of whole-grain wheat pizza dough by
baking it longer at higher temperatures and giving the dough lots of time
to rise.
Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from damage caused by
unstable molecules known as free radicals. Some experts believe
antioxidants can lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and other
ailments.
Lucy Yu, a food chemistry professor, said the findings arose from
broader research into ways to improve health-promoting properties of
wheat-based food products.
"The reason that we chose pizza is just because it is a very popular
food product, not only in the U.S. but worldwide," researcher Jeffrey
Moore added.
"So we thought if we could find ways to improve (its antioxidant)
properties, doing this for such a product could have a larger impact on
public health," Moore added.
But Moore had a slice of advice for pizza aficionados who might want to
cover their crust with mounds
of fatty toppings like extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage and ground beef.
"If you're adding back all these other things that have potential
negative health consequences, then you're negating anything that you're
adding in terms of (health) value," Moore said.
The research was served up
at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago, a mecca for
thick-crust pizza.
