Last week, we wondered if durian was the new health food craze of the month. Today, scientists meeting at the American Chemical Society conference (conveniently, in deep-dish destination Chicago) revealed that hotter baking temperatures and lengthier crust-rising times enhance the antioxidant content of whole-grain pizza, according to a study conducted by the pizza industry U.S. Department of Agriculture. The reason for the study? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ’em:
“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.”
Supposedly, lengthening the crust rising time–or fermentation time–can increase antioxidant levels by up 82 percent. The same scientists added a caveat: lots of toppings will probably negate any positive effects on your health. Unless of course, it’s pomegranate pizza. Or durian.
Pizza as health food? [CNN]
