Tasty, convenient, and generally affordable, many of us enjoy pizza. And did you know that the carbs in pizza produce the feel-good hormone serotonin? This is why so many of us crave the Italian dish. However, frozen pizza provides very few health benefits. One slice can exceed our daily recommended allowance for saturated fat and sodium.
In this article, we discuss how frozen pizza can negatively affect your health.
Saturated Fats
Two slices of frozen pizza loaded with cheese and meat contain at least half your daily saturated fat allowance and a day’s worth of sodium. When you eat too much saturated fat, you’ll increase the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Sodium/Salt
The sodium content found in frozen pizzas is in the tomato sauce, cured meats, cheese, and crust. However, your body only requires a small amount of sodium each day. Too much can lead to it building up in your blood and putting a strain on your heart and arteries.
High sodium in your blood can cause high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Other health conditions include fluid retention and chronic heart and kidney disease.
Refined Carbohydrates
The crust made from white flour in pizza is a form of refined carbohydrate. It is low in fiber (just two grams per serving). Therefore, it digests quicker and raises your blood sugar. When this happens, a flood of insulin is activated to handle the large quantity of glucose. This reaction can result in insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes.
The blood sugar spike also causes you to feel hungry and crave more sugar, increasing the risk of obesity and heart disease.
Frozen Pizza in Moderation
Frozen pizza is a convenient and yummy dish. However, it’s categorized as processed food due to its high saturated fats, sodium, and refined carbs. Eating frozen pizza and other processed food in moderation is necessary to help maintain a balanced diet. However, consider including a side dish of steamed mixed vegetables to reduce the amount of pizza you have in one sitting.
