Published in the journal Nutrients, the study — conducted by researchers from several Italian cities as well as Providence, Rhode Island, which purports to have the largest per capita Italian diasporic community in the US — appears to be the first of its kind, as researchers looked at whether pizza could have beneficial effects for folks with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes uncomfortable or painful swelling in the joints.

While pizza is considered a junk food in the US, the way they do it in Italy — with fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, fresh tomatoes, and more healthy ingredients — does indeed make these delicious pies more nutritious than the average greasy slice or frozen pie in the US.

In the study, the consortium of scientists examined data from a prior survey on the dietary habits of 365 Italians aged 18 and 65 who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Using results from the survey, which was conducted between 2018 and 2019, the scientists found that those who ate half a pizza at least once per week experienced a reduction in their arthritis symptoms compared to those who only ate pizza twice a month or less. Interestingly, those with more severe rheumatoid arthritis seemed to fare better when eating more pizza, too.

Source: Yahoo News

https://news.yahoo.com/italian-scientists-research-whether-eating-100026485.html