It’s time for you to know that the health benefits of sweet peppers are as sweet as they are!
What sets sweet peppers apart from other peppers? Well, they are known to have the perfect balance between spicy and sweet. Tasting them may also remind you of paprika and jalapeños.
Although they are fruits, sweet peppers are usually cooked like vegetables. They are largely produced in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
There are several sweet peppers: anaheim, banana, bell, cherry, cubanelle, pepperoncini, and poblano. Any of these make good options for grilling, stuffing, and picking.
Pin this recipe on Pinterest to save for later
When you use sweet peppers in your diet, you’re not just securing the flavor of the dishes but also nurturing your body and mind with the health benefits of sweet peppers.
Your mind will surely be blown by how sweet peppers can change your life!
Nutrition Facts
Realize how healthy sweet peppers are, starting with learning about the nutrients you can get from them. Trust me; you’re going to need all of these nutrients to make your day!
Check out what 100 grams of sweet peppers can offer:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Water | 92.2 grams |
| Energy | 26 kcal |
| Protein | 0.99 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 6.03 grams |
| Fiber | 2.1 grams |
| Calcium | 7 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.43 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 12 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 26 milligrams |
| Potassium | 211 milligrams |
| Sodium | 4 milligrams |
| Vitamin C | 128 milligrams |
| Folate | 46 micrograms |
| Choline | 5.6 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 157 micrograms |
| Carotene | 1620 micrograms |
| Vitamin E | 1.58 milligrams |
| Vitamin K | 4.9 micrograms |
Calories
For every 100 grams of sweet peppers, you can get about 31 calories. These calories are composed of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Sweet peppers will surely be good for your low-calorie diet.
Carbohydrates
There are about six grams of carbohydrates in 100 grams of sweet peppers. However, green peppers tend to have fewer carbohydrates. Although sweet, they are known to have little to no effects on your blood sugar.
Fiber
Sweet peppers help you get about two grams of daily fiber. Like other kinds of peppers, they are also a good source of fiber for your diet.
Once you have these nutrients in your system, you will experience the health benefits of sweet peppers!
Vitamins and Minerals
No matter what diet you’re on, it’s important to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Luckily, adding sweet peppers to your meals can help.
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Fiber
- Vitamin K
- Folic acid
- Folate
- Beta-carotene
- Protein
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
- Phosphorus
- Sodium
- Choline
- Calcium
These vitamins and minerals can cause a big change in your life, especially when you eat sweet peppers regularly!
Plant Compounds
Aside from the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, sweet peppers also contain important plant compounds. Some of the best compounds include phenols, carotenoids, and flavonoids.
- Phenols: These work as antioxidants to protect you from oxidation. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent many health problems.
- Carotenoids: Due to the skin of sweet peppers, they are known to have carotenoids. These can improve your eyes, heart, and overall health.
- Flavonoids: Flavonoids can boost your immunity to fight many diseases and help you avoid different kinds of cancer.
You will surely appreciate how helpful these compounds can add the health benefits of sweet peppers. Keep enjoying sweet peppers in your meals to get only the best benefits!
Health Benefits
Live your best life with the health benefits you can get from sweet peppers:
Lowers blood pressure
Secure your health by lowering your blood pressure with sweet peppers. Regular blood pressure also improves blood flow and stronger protection against heart problems.
According to Mirchi Plus, using capsicum for your diet can mean lowering your blood pressure to combat hypertension and improve your active lifestyle.
Promotes digestion
Make sweet peppers part of your fibrous diet to promote healthy digestion. The peppers will add bulk to your stool to make moving bowels easier.
Nao Medical shared that the fiber from sweet peppers can help you manage your weight better. They can also cleanse and detoxify your gut and body.
Prevents cancer
Protect yourself from different types of cancer with the remarkable effects of sweet peppers. The capsaicin from sweet peppers also plays an important part in preventing cancer.
Health Benefits Time suggests vitamin C from sweet peppers to lower your cancer risk. The peppers can also slow down the growth and division of cancer cells.
Treats anemia and arthritis
Anemia and arthritis can have troublesome symptoms, but you don’t have to worry about them when you eat sweet peppers. A simple home remedy is adding these peppers to your meals.
BBC Good Food mentioned that sweet peppers can supply you with vitamin C to get more iron into your system. The compounds in these peppers can also reduce inflammation to prevent arthritis.
Strengthens bones
Sweet peppers contain vitamins that can increase bone density for stronger bones. They can also lower the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
An article by Better Me found that vitamin A from sweet peppers can help you build and maintain your bones and teeth. Now, you can keep up with your daily activities with healthy bones.
Improves brain function
It’s important to include brain foods to keep you alert and critical. Indeed, sweet peppers can help you improve brain function and avoid brain problems such as Alzheimer’s disease.
A study in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine mentioned that sweet peppers have antioxidant activity to protect your brain cells from damage. There might also be good effects on your focus and memory.
Boosts immunity
One of the best ways to stay healthy and fit is to boost your immunity. It’s certainly a good thing that the vitamins from sweet peppers can help strengthen your immunity against colds and flu.
According to the Food Revolution Network, peppers’ capsaicin content can boost immunity against different kinds of pathogens, like streptococcus bacteria.
Nourishes the skin
Did you know you can take better care of your skin with sweet peppers? They have niacin and vitamins to resolve skin problems, from acne to inflammation.
Very Well Fit includes sweet peppers in the top foods that are good for your skin. Their anti-inflammatory effects can also keep the blood vessels in your face healthy.
Keeps your heart healthy
You always need a healthy heart to live a happy life. Sweet peppers can help improve your heart function in many ways. They are good for blood sugar and blood pressure and blood flow, too.
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, capsaicin can lower your risk of getting cardiovascular mortalities. It also lowers cholesterol levels in your aorta.
Relieves pain
Instead of taking medication for pain, you can relieve pain by including sweet peppers in your diet. It can also have anti-inflammatory effects on different body parts for many kinds of pain.
Molecules shared that the capsaicin from sweet peppers can potentially block pain signals from the brain. You will surely feel much better with less and more manageable pain.
Now you know how convenient your life will be with the relief you can get from eating sweet peppers. A diet with sweet peppers will certainly make life sweeter!
Ripening Process
It is perfectly safe to eat ripe and unripe sweet peppers. They will surely give you fragrant and tasteful dishes for truly enjoyable dining experiences.
In case you prefer ripe sweet peppers, here are some tips to help you ripen them at home:
- Expose the sweet peppers to sunlight to speed up the ripening.
- Store the peppers in a box for the warm temperature to ripen them.
- Keep them in paper bags with bananas and apples.
When buying sweet peppers, look for bright and smooth skin. Check that they are heavy for their size and free from holes and blemishes. Make sure that the stem is still attached and green.
Side Effects
Like eating other foods, having too many sweet peppers in your diet can have side effects. These are the signs that you need to watch out for when watching your sweet pepper intake:
- Heartburn – a painful feeling in the chest
- Bloating – feeling too full
- Flatulence – a build-up of gas
- Diarrhea – abnormal and irregular bowel movements
- Stomachache – pain and discomfort in the stomach area
- Capsicum allergy – intolerance towards capsicum
To reap the health benefits of sweet peppers, make sure to consume them in moderation. One sweet pepper a day will suffice, but you can increase the amount, depending on your recipe.
Conclusion
With sweet peppers, you can trust that life only gets better!
Aside from serving an awesome purpose in cooking, sweet peppers are also guaranteed to give you the best health benefits. You’ll not only love how they make your dishes taste, but also how much better you will feel.
Let’s go over the health benefits of sweet peppers one more time:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Promotes digestion
- Prevents cancer
- Treats anemia and arthritis
- Strengthens bones
- Improves brain function
- Boosts immunity
- Nourishes the skin
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Relieves pain
Always remember to use sweet peppers in proper amounts because too many of these can also lead to consequences. From now on, live a sweet life with sweet peppers!
Suggested Recipes
There are so many ways to use sweet peppers to elevate the quality of your meals. I suggest using them for dips, sauces, rice bowls, burritos, wraps, stir-fries, noodles, spreads, salads, sandwiches, and more!
In fact, you can take peppers to a new level of fun by stuffing them with your favorite fillings. I’m sure you’ll enjoy their tastier and more fragrant aroma.
In our home, these are my family’s favorite dishes with sweet peppers:
- Ewa Agoyin Pepper Sauce
- Egusi Soup
- Stick Meat
- Okra Soup
- Dodo Gizzard Stick Meat
- Yam Porridge
- Smoked Mackerel Stew
- Jollof Rice
- Breakfast Sandwich
- One-Pot Spaghetti
- Breakfast Wraps
- Moi Moi
- Grilled Croaker Fish
- Paprika
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Assorted Fish Stew
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
If you’re creative and fun with your recipes, you will always have interesting ways to use sweet peppers!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five health benefits of peppers?
Peppers have more than five health benefits! With the many kinds of peppers, they are all guaranteed to be good for your heart, brain, skin, digestion, bones, and immunity.
They can also help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels to supply the body with the necessary nutrients. They are also known to prevent diseases like cancer, anemia, and arthritis.
Are sweet peppers healthy?
Of course! In fact, sweet peppers are some of the healthiest peppers you can eat. They offer many health benefits for overall wellness and nutrition.
Here are the health benefits of sweet peppers that you need to know:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Promotes digestion
- Prevents cancer
- Treats anemia and arthritis
- Strengthens bones
- Improves brain function
- Boosts immunity
- Nourishes the skin
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Relieves pain
Is it OK to eat sweet peppers every day?
It is safe to eat sweet peppers every day as long as you eat them in moderation. One sweet pepper can already give you many nutrients you will need for the day.
Which sweet pepper is healthiest?
Out of all the sweet peppers, red bell peppers are considered to be some of the healthiest. They are ripe with all the nutrients you can possibly ask for. You’ll surely find it exciting to learn more about the health benefits of bell peppers!
