Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts

Bell pepper Capsicum annuum is a member of some plants from the nightshade family, native to Central and South America, they are related to tomatoes, breadfruit and chilli peppers.

Bell pepper is also sometimes called capsicum or sweet pepper. They can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. You can use them in salads or pastas too.

Bell pepper like their close relative chilli pepper can sometimes come in dried and powder form and it is called paprika powder.

Bell pepper is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants and low in calories so they make a good addition to a very healthy diet.

Bell pepper can comes in many colors such as red, green, yellow and orange and 

sometimes the unripe fruits can have a mildly bitter flavor so it lacks some sweetness compared to fully ripe ones.

Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts:

Did you know that fresh bell pepper is mostly made up of water (92%) while the remaining 8% is made up carbohydrates and small amounts of protein and fat?

Below is a comprehensive list of its nutritional makeup.

General Information	Amount
Calories	31
Water	92 %
Protein	1 g
Carbohydrate	6 g
Fiber	2.1 g
Fat	0.3 g
Saturated	0.03 g
Monounsaturated	0 g
Polyunsaturated	0.07 g
Omega-3	0.03 g
Omega-6	0.05 g
Trans fat	~
Sugars	4.2 g
Sucrose	0 g
Glucose	1.9 g
Fructose	2.3 g
Lactose	0 g
Maltose	0 g
Galactose	0 g
Starch	0 g

Carbohydrates

Bell Pepper is made up primarily of carbohydrates which accounts for the majority of its whole content.

 The carbohydrates which are mostly sugar contain fructose and glucose that’s why bell pepper is sweet when it is ripe. It also contain small amount of fiber amounting to 2% which is why a bell pepper is a good fiber source.
Vitamins and Minerals
Bell pepper is packed with different kinds of vitamins and minerals and it is also rich in vitamin C
Vitamin A or pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) is converted into vitamin A into the body.
Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine is essential for the formation of RBC or red blood cells and it is also the most common type of vitamin B6.
Vitamin C is in abundance in a medium bell pepper because it contains 169% of the RDA for vitamin C.
Vitamin E is vital to promote healthy muscles and nerves and it is also a powerful antioxidant.
Folate or vitamin B9, folic acid or folacin offers multiple functions in the body but one of the most notable benefits of folate is for pregnant women as it helps prevent birth defects.

Vitamin K1 is a kind of vitamin K called phylloquinone is important for bone health and blood clotting.
Potassium is a very important mineral that helps improve heart function when consumed in adequate amounts.

Other Plant Compounds

Antioxidants especially carotenoids are abundantly found in bell peppers when they are ripe. 

Capsanthin is a strong antioxidant which gives bell pepper its bright red color. 
Additionally capsanthin is being studied for helping fight cancer.
Lutein is very important for good eyesight and while it is found in green peppers and black paprika, lutein is not found in ripe bell peppers.
Quercetin, a polyphenol antioxidant which can also be found in other plants, is shown in studies to be beneficial for fighting chronic diseases like cancer and heart illnesses.
Violaxanthin is the most common carotenoid antioxidant found in yellow bell peppers.

 

Health Benefits of Bell Peppers

Proper nutritional intake is key to promoting good health and necessary body functions and bell pepper can be called a healthy food and it offers a wide array of health benefits as well as having a pleasant taste which can be combine with other foods to make a good meal.
Anemia

Anemia is the condition where there is decrease ability of the blood to carry oxygen and one of the most common cause of it is iron deficiency. The main symptoms of this are tiredness or feeling weak. 

And bell pepper is a rich source of iron and loaded with vitamin C too which ups the absorption of iron from the gut. This is a good thing because the intake of dietary iron is increased when eaten with fruits or vegetables high in vitamin C. 
This can help prevent anemia.

 

Eye Health

Macular degeneration and cataracts are the most common types of eye conditions and the main reasons for these are infections and old age.

Nutrition plays an important role in the development of these conditions and Lutein, carotenoids and zeaxanthin which are found in high amounts in a bell pepper may improve eye health dramatically.

They also help shield the retina which is the light-sensitive inner wall of the eye from oxidative damage.

There are studies saying that regular intake of foods rich in carotenoids may lower the risk of acquiring macular degeneration and cataracts.

Adverse Effects  

Allergies to bell pepper are not really common as most people can eat it but it is still advisable to know if you can tolerate eating it.