Dr. Thomas Dwan - Is It Bad For You? Approved by Dr. Thomas Dwan

Is CiCi's Pizza Bad For You?


Grade

D-


Short answer

Like any traditional pizza, CiCi’s pizza is bad for you. Cheap ingredients such as oils, white flour, salt, and MSG combine to form a food that should not be consumed on a regular basis.

Grade

D-


Long answer

CiCi’s pizza is typical American-style pizza made up of a white flour crust with tomato- and cheese-based sauces with cheese, meat, and vegetable toppings. Their restaurants are outfitted with ‘family-friendly’ buffets where customers can get in line to grab unlimited slices. Cici’s is known for its low prices, which is aided by the purchase of cheap ingredients. Cici’s also has dessert pizzas available, as well as their famous cinnamon rolls, which are made of white flour, oils, and high fructose corn syrup—none of which are good for you.

CiCi’s uses high levels of oil in their pizzas. For example, partially hydrogenated oils appear in 21 menu items. Soybean oil is in the dough, sauces, and dessert items. Soybean oil is a derivative of soybeans, which are known for their high allergens and interference with hormones. Most consumer soy products contain GMOs unless otherwise noted. CiCi’s uses food coloring (specifically in the cheese and pizza sauce). Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is added to at least 10 menu items, as well as several sauces. Their cheese contains food starch, soybean oil, and aluminum. High fructose corn syrup can be found lurking, in large amounts, in the BBQ sauce and all desserts.

One slice of CiCi’s cheese pizza contains 100 calories. There are 4.5 grams of total fat, 2.5 of which are saturated fat, and 190 mg of sodium. Bear in mind that these numbers escalate are more toppings are added. Additionally, people rarely go to a buffet style restaurant to consume one slice of pizza. As for the popular cinnamon rolls, one roll has 100 calories, 1.5 grams of fat each, and 65 mg of sodium.

Occasionally, eating one slice of pizza and one small cinnamon roll is unlikely to adversely affect your health—though it is a small portion for a pizza buffet! When eaten on a regular basis (or in large amounts), CiCi’s pizza can cause weight gain, increase in blood sugar, heart disease, hypertension, and make you susceptible to other chronic diseases. Not to mention that the self-serve, buffet-style restaurant model presents the opportunity for germs to be exchanged! Many people, specifically children, do not adhere to proper buffet etiquette or use proper hygiene in general. Consume with caution!


Possible short-term side effects

  • increased heart rate
  • increased blood pressure
  • increased release of insulin
  • germ contamination
  • allergens

Possible long-term side effects

  • weight gain
  • hypertension
  • hormonal imbalances
  • heart disease

Ingredients to be aware of



Healthier alternatives

  • homemade pizza with fresh organic ingredients



Thank you for your feedback!

Written by DeeAnne Oldham
Published on: 06-30-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by DeeAnne Oldham
Published on: 06-30-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016




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