They may come in many colors and flavors, but one thing is sure: bell peppers will give you the tastiest meals and the best health benefits!
Are they fruits or vegetables? Interestingly, bell peppers are considered fruits but are often cooked like vegetables. These belong to the capsicum genus and are usually produced in South and Central America and China.
Bell peppers have smooth, colorful skins with juicy, crunchy flesh inside. Inside, clusters of seeds are attached to a white membrane. They usually come in red, yellow, and green versions with varying flavors.
If you want a grassy and vegetal taste, then green bell peppers are best for you. On the other hand, red bell peppers will give you a sweeter and citrus flavor. Meanwhile, yellow and orange bell peppers are less sweet and citrusy than red bell peppers.
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You can also eat bell pepper seeds, but they don’t taste spicy like other peppers. Instead, they tend to taste slightly bitter.
No matter what dish you’re cooking, these are guaranteed to elevate the quality of your dishes and your health!
Nutrition Facts
There’s no wonder bell peppers are healthy because they are loaded with amazing nutrients. They’re not just about flavor and color, but also about your dietary needs.
Here are some of the nutrients you can find in 100 grams of bell peppers, as suggested by Food Data Central:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Water | 91.9 grams |
| Energy | 31 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 6.65 grams |
| Calcium | 6 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.35 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 11 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 27 milligrams |
| Potassium | 213 milligrams |
| Vitamin C | 142 milligrams |
| Thiamin | 0.055 milligrams |
| Niacin | 1.02 milligrams |
| Folate | 47 micrograms |
Calories
For every 100 grams of bell peppers, you can get about 31 calories. These calories are usually composed of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Bell peppers will certainly complement your low-calorie diet meals.
Carbohydrates
There are about 6.65 grams of carbohydrates in 100 grams of bell peppers. However, it may vary on the bell peppers too. For instance, raw green bell peppers are known to have fewer carbs.
Fiber
Can you get fiber from bell peppers? Of course! There are 1.7 grams of fiber in 100 grams of bell peppers. Their fiber content can surely improve your digestion and metabolism.
You can never go wrong with bell peppers’ nutrients. Even in small amounts, they can tremendously affect your lifestyle and diet!
Vitamins and Minerals
You won’t believe how many vitamins and minerals bell peppers contain. They also have essential nutritional needs that can keep you healthy and nourished.
- Protein
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Thiamin
- Folate Niacin
- Fiber
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Lycopene
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
These are essential vitamins and minerals that can certainly improve your life. Imagine how convenient it would be to get all of this healthy goodness in bell peppers.
Plant Compounds
Bell peppers will surely take your health to the next level with equally healthy plant compounds. The best compounds in bell peppers include capsanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, quercetin, and luteolin.
- Capsanthin: is one of the best plant compounds for improving vision. It’s also an antioxidant that gives bell peppers their bright color.
- Violaxanthin: this is a carotenoid with powerful antioxidant effects to reduce inflammation and prevent cancer.
- Lutein: you can usually find these in green bell peppers. It’s known to improve eyesight and protect your eyes from inflammation.
- Quercetin: is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties to prevent cancer, improve heart health, and fight against many diseases.
- Luteolin: this is known to boost your immunity, protect you from many health problems, and sustain your active lifestyle.
Get these helpful compounds in your system every time you eat bell peppers!
Health Benefits of Bell Peppers
Are you ready to learn all about the health benefits of bell peppers?
Improves eye health
Satisfy your appetite while taking care of your eyes with these bell peppers. They keep your eyes healthy and protect them from many diseases.
According to the Investigative Opthalmology and Visual Science Journal, eating foods with lutein and zeaxanthin, like bell peppers, can reduce the risk of cataracts and prevent visual impairment.
Supports immunity
There are many health problems you can avoid with bell peppers in your meals. These fruits are also known to boost your immunity to help your body respond to bacteria and infections.
Style Craze shared that eating bell peppers can support your immunity to prevent arthritis, reduce inflammation, and protect your cells from oxidative damage. Bell peppers are also known to prevent anemia.
Reduces inflammation
Eating foods that can reduce inflammation is a good way to stay disease-free. It is also important for helping your body heal faster and better.
Time Magazine even included bell peppers in the best anti-inflammatory foods. With the help of lutein, violaxanthin, and quercetin, you can certainly reduce inflammation in your system.
Promotes heart health
Since bell peppers are rich in potassium, they will have a good effect on your heart. These fruits can also help you manage your blood sugar and blood pressure.
An article by Real Simple mentioned that the potassium from bell peppers is a key factor in regulating blood pressure for better blood flow. Indeed, bell peppers are heart-healthy!
Helps with digestion
If you want to achieve your weight loss goals while eating good food, bell peppers should be on your grocery list. These fruits can do an excellent job of increasing your metabolism to lose weight.
According to WebMD, the fiber from bell peppers adds bulk to your stool, helping you move your bowels properly. They can also reduce the risk of hemorrhoids.
Enhances brain function
Continue to develop your brain function by enjoying more of these bell peppers. They can also have a good effect on your cognitive ability to help you with work or school.
Proactive Health Labs considered bell peppers are brain food because of the antioxidants that can protect the brain. Moreover, you might even have better memory and focus with these fruits.
Cleanses the colon
What better way to keep your colon clean and healthy than by eating bell peppers? These will also help you move your bowels for proper digestion and better metabolism.
The Cleveland Clinic mentioned that bell peppers can prevent constipation and other digestive problems, such as colon cancer. Now you can relish your food without worry.
Nourishes the skin
Due to the vitamins, antioxidants, and carotenoids in bell peppers, you can expect positive effects on your skin. These fruits can protect you from many skin problems.
According to Healthshots, the vitamins from bell peppers can save you from free radicals, sun damage, and dull skin. Sometimes, keeping your skin healthy is as easy as adding bell peppers to your diet.
No matter how you prefer to use bell peppers, you can always ensure you’re getting the health benefits you need!
Ripening Process
Whether raw or ripe, bell peppers can give you incredible flavor and quality. Unripe bell peppers are the green ones, and any other color means they’re already ripe.
Red bell peppers take longer to grow and ripen, but there are ways to ripen them at home. According to Weekand, bell peppers will continue to ripen when you harvest them.
You can store bell peppers with fruits with ethylene gas, like bananas and apples. It can also take about two weeks to ripen green bell peppers to get sweeter bell peppers.
When buying bell peppers, The Produce Moms suggests choosing bell peppers with bright and firm skin. Check if the stems are still attached and green. Also, go for bell peppers that feel heavy for their size.
Side Effects
Bell peppers may taste and smell awesome, but you can still expose yourself to side effects if you eat these in excess.
Here are the possible health consequences you may experience from too many of these fruits:
- Nausea – feeling sick to your stomach
- Burning sensation – a dull and stabbing pain
- Stomachache – pain and discomfort in the stomach area
- Indigestion – difficulty digesting food
- Loose stools – watery bowel movements
- Sneezing – irritation in the nose
- Watery eyes – moisture in the eyes
- Sweating – release of fluid from the body
- Runny nose – irritation inside the nose
- Nightshade sensitivity – immune response to nightshade plants
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease – a flow of stomach contents back into the esophagus
An article in Real Simple suggests eating only one bell pepper every day. Use these bell peppers for your favorite recipes to give them a fragrant aroma, delicious flavor, and more health benefits!
Conclusion
Can you believe how bell peppers can make you feel healthy?
They’re not just about the flavor, color, and flare, but also for all the healthy goodness you need. I’m sure you’ll love how it tastes and how good it can be for your overall health.
Here’s a recap of the health benefits of bell peppers:
- Improves eye health
- Supports immunity
- Reduces inflammation
- Promotes heart health
- Helps with digestion
- Enhances brain function
- Cleanses the colon
- Nourishes the skin
Adding bell peppers to your diet is one of the best ways to stay strong and healthy. Regardless of how you want to cook bell peppers, they’re guaranteed to give only the best results!
Suggested Recipes
I always have bell peppers in our kitchen because I use these in lots of healthy recipes for the family. If you’re looking for a way to use bell peppers, then here are my best suggestions:
- Ewa Agoyin Pepper Sauce
- Egusi Soup
- Ewa Agoyin Stew
- Beef Skewers
- Coconut Fried Rice
- Okra Soup
- Gizdodo
- Dodo Gizzard Stick Meat
- Yam Porridge
- Salad
- Assorted Meat Stew
- Smoked Mackerel Stew
- Egg and Yam Frittata
- Jollof Rice
- Breakfast Sandwich
- Fried Rice
- Chicken Fried Bulgur
- Moi Moi
- Grilled Croaker Fish
- Couscous
- Spaghetti in Chicken Breast Sauce
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Assorted Fish Stew
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Don’t forget to share your favorite bell pepper recipes in the comment section! Try any of the dishes I shared, and you’ll certainly get the best of these bell peppers all the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which color bell pepper is the healthiest?
An article by WebMD mentioned that red bell peppers are the healthiest variants because they’ve been nourished in the vines for a longer time. They are also fully ripe bell peppers that can give you plenty of other nutrients.
Is it healthy to eat bell peppers daily?
Yes, it is safe and healthy to eat bell peppers daily as long as you limit your intake to one bell pepper a day. You can use more than one bell pepper if you intend to use it a few times a week.
Why are bell peppers a Superfood?
Bell peppers are considered superfoods because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and compounds that are essential for health. They’re good for your brain, stomach, heart, eyes, gut, colon, and skin!
What organs are peppers good for?
Peppers are known to be good for almost all of your organs! They especially positively affect your vision, digestion, immunity, brain function, skin condition, and heart health.
