Eating pizza 'really could be good for you'

It may not be low in calories, but eating pizza could actually be good for you -- only if you add oregano to it, for a study by an Indian-origin researcher says the seasoning is a powerful weapon against prostate cancer.

Supriya Bavadekar and colleagues at Long Island University have found that oregano, a seasoning commonly used in pizza and other Italian food, has the potential to become a powerful weapon against prostate cancer.

They studied carvacrol, a chemical in oregano. Added to prostate cancer cells in the lab, it rapidly wiped them out. Left for four days, almost all the cells were killed, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

Tests showed it triggered the cells to kill themselves. The oregano chemical could now be used itself as a treatment against cancer, or as the blueprint for an even more powerful drug, say the researchers.

Bavadekar, a pharmacologist, said, "Some researchers have previously shown that eating pizza may cut down cancer risk. This effect has been mostly attributed to lycopene, a substance found in tomato sauce, but we now feel that even the oregano seasoning may play role.

"If the study continues to yield positive results, this super-spice may present a very promising therapy for patients with prostate cancer. A significant advantage is that oregano is commonly used in food.

"We expect this to translate into a decreased risk of severe toxic effects. But this study is at a very preliminary stage and further experiments need to be conducted to get a better idea of uses in the clinic."

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