Pass me another slice.

Growing up, it became a tradition in my family that we'd have pizza just about every Saturday night. My parents had discovered a great little "hole-in-the-wall" place a few miles from our house in a north San Fernando Valley strip mall. And they had the best pizza--authentic Italian pizzas, made by a couple of talented Italian brothers. Oh, we'd try some other places, but when we were really hungry for pizza, nothing but Mama's pizza seemed worthy for our table.

We all have many great memories from those Saturday nights. Whoever went to pick up the pizzas got to keep Dad's change. I remember when I finally got my driver's license and could start driving to the restaurant myself. That change came in handy! Then my sister got her license, and the weekly race to pick up the pizza was on.

And I don't think anyone will ever forget the night that our Doberman grabbed a slice of pizza off Dad's plate. Almost without thinking, Dad swatted the dog across the snout, and we all got very quiet, waiting for the dog to do something back. But she just looked at Dad and sort of snuck off into a corner. She never grabbed food off a plate again!

I get good feelings every time I remember those days. But now comes news of a study that perhaps we were doing some long-term good for our family's health, too.

Researchers in Italy looked at more than 3,000 people who had developed various forms of cancers, and compared them to 5,000 people who did not develop cancer. One question study participants answered was how much pizza they ate. According to the results published in the International Journal of Cancer, those who ate pizza at least once a week reduced their risk of esophageal cancer by 59 percent, of colon cancer by 26 percent, and of mouth cancer by 34 percent.

Now, there's one thing to remember about this study before you go programming your nearest pizza parlor into your phone's speed dial. The pizza we're talking about here is authentic Italian pizza, not your basic American pizza dripping with extra cheese stuffed in the crust and piled high with meat. Sorry, folks, but Italian pizza features a simple thin crust, olive oil, lots of tomato sauce, and a modest amount of cheese.

In fact, this study seems to confirm the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes abundant fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, cereals, and olive oil, and lots less meat and cheese than the typical American diet. Hey, Mom, maybe I will have that extra slice!

These days my family doesn't get together for pizza every week. But during those times that we do, we always have a great time. My nephew just got his driver's license, so maybe he'll get to keep the change now. But even if my family can't enjoy our old weekly ritual as often, I encourage you to share some pizza on some Saturday night when your family is together. You're sure to make some happy memories. And if you're lucky enough to be close to a pizza parlor owned by some talented Italian brothers, you may be doing your body some good, too.