One of America's favorite foods is gaining a new kind of recognition.

Italian researcher Dr. Silvano Gallus recently wrote in the International Journal of Cancer that eating pizza regularly could offer protection from some cancers of the digestive system.

Sounds good, but how much can we trust an Italian telling us that pizza is healthy?

A closer look reveals that Dr. Gallus and his associates at the Institute of Pharmacologic Research in Milan may be on to something. They studied more than 8,000 people, about half of whom were diagnosed with a certain type of cancer of the digestive tract, and another half who were completely clear of cancer. They found that those who ate pizza at least once a week were less likely to develop cancer.

Before you start dialing Pizza Hut, there is a catch. Dr. Gallus was careful to explain that Italian pizzas could be very different from other types of pizzas, and that the food's healthful benefits may be derived from the nutrients in the cooked tomatoes found in the sauce.