Bell Peppers!
Today we are going to talk about bell peppers. Like the other fruits and vegetables that we have discussed here on Bits of Fitness, bell peppers provide vital vitamins and minerals to support overall health. Red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers all are a simple addition to your diet! Keep reading to learn why bell peppers are beneficial for overall health.
Nutrition Facts
Fun fact, like tomatoes, bell peppers are a type of fruit apart of the night shade family. (I had no idea bell peppers were a type of fruit, how cool is that!). Any ways…
100g of raw, red bell pepper has:
| Calories | 31 |
| Carbs | 6g |
| Fat | 0.3g |
| Protein | 1g |
| Fiber | 2.1g |
Vitamin and Minerals
Bell peppers are packed full of vitamins and minerals! They are 92% water and are a great source of vitamin C. Seriously though, oranges need to step aside because one medium red bell peppers contain 196% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C!
Other great nutrients include:
| Vitamin, Mineral, or Antioxidant | What It Is Good For |
|---|---|
| Capsanthin | Antioxidant that makes red bell peppers red. |
| Folate | Important during pregnancy. |
| Lutein | Found in green bell peppers (unripen bell peppers) is great for eye health. |
| Luteolin | Polyphenol antioxidant that is great for overall health. |
| Potassium | Can improve heart health. |
| Pro-Vitamin A | Helps the body produce Vitamin A. |
| Quercetin | Polyphenol antioxidant that may prevent cancer and heart disease. |
| Violaxanthin | Most common carotenoid antioxidant found in yellow bell peppers. |
| Vitamin B6 | Important for blood cell formation. |
| Vitamin E | Important for nerves and muscles. |
| Vitamin K1 | Important for blood clotting and bone health. |
Health Benefits
All those great vitamins and minerals provide awesome health benefits that supports overall health. Different colored peppers provide different health benefits; where the different colors are a result of how ripe the pepper is. Bell peppers are a great addition to one’s diet to be enjoyed raw or cooked! A diet high in fruits and vegetables is important for heart health, diabetes prevention, cancer prevention, and other preventable diseases that are common in America. The two health benefits that really stand out for bell peppers are eye health and anemia prevention.
Eye Health
Lutein and zeaxanthin are great for eye health. As one may be more prominent than the other depending on how ripe the pepper is, both can help to protect the retina.
Anemia Prevention
Red bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C and iron. Vitamin C and iron go hand-in-hand when it comes to anemia prevention. Bell peppers and iron rich foods are good to eat together because vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Therefore, more iron for the body.
Let’s Chat!
Did you learn something new about bell peppers, or did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments down below!
Related: This Post Will Make You Go BANANAS!
References
Bell Peppers 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits – written by Alti Arnarson BSc, PhD
Health Benefits of Bell Peppers – by WebMD