Pizza is one food whose health benefits . Italian scientists claimed that eating pizza once a week can protect against some cancers. Reduces your risk of oral cancer by 34 percent, colon cancer by over 25 percent, and esophageal cancer by a whopping 59 percent. Some studies have linked consumption of the antioxidant lycopene, which exists in tomato products that are often used on pizza, as having a beneficial health effect. The study of 8,000 people found that those who ate pizza as a healthy snack one or more times a week were several times less likely to get colon cancer than those who chose other meals. Carlo La Vecchia, a Milan-based epidemiologist said, "Pizza could simply be indicative of a lifestyle and food habits, in other words the Italian version of a Mediterranean diet. " A traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, fiber, vegetables, fruit, flour, and freshly cooked food. In contrast to the traditional Italian pizza used in the research, popular pizza varieties in many parts of the world are often loaded with high fat cheeses and fatty meats, a high intake of which can contribute to obesity, itself a risk factor for cancer.