Mexican food is very popular, but it also has an unhealthy reputation.  But a new study has a different opinion about some of the dishes.

Medical researchers at the University of Utah say native Mexican cuisine is good for you. 

Researchers say they tracked the eating habits of pre-menopausal Hispanic and non-Hispanic women living in the Four Corner region (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona). 

“Basically, they took women who had been diagnosed with cancer and then they matched those with women who had not been diagnosed with cancer and they looked at if dietary patterns made a difference in the outcome of cancer,” said Dr. Sue Cunningham, a nutritionist.

The results?  Pre-menopausal women showed better protection against breast cancer than others. 

These women ate a lot of Mexican cheeses, beans, soups and tomato-based sauces.

“We’re talking maybe more of the native Mexican dishes, like vegetable stews,” said Dr. Cunningham.

It sounds good, but the key is knowing what goes in these Mexican dishes.  You can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.  Squash, cabbage, corn, beans and lots of spices are all used to make healthy native Mexican dishes like Caldo, a popular soup you can find at just about any Mexican restaurant.

But don’t get native Mexican cuisine confused with Tex-Mex.

“It’s almost like Tex-Mex is the Mexican diet on steroids,” said Dr. Cunningham.  “It’s high in fat, low in fiber and it does not have as many fruits and vegetables.

When you compare the native Mexican diet to others, researchers say it proved to better protect women against breast cancer.

Doctor Cunningham says being healthy isn’t just about what type of cuisine you eat.

“If we really go back to just an agrarian kind of diet in America, where you get lots of fruits and vegetables that are locally grown, I think that is really the key,” she said.