Bell pepper is one of the healthiest vegetables for the body, and should be a regular part of your dietbecause bell pepper has a high amount of vitamin C, lowers the risks of many aging diseases, has low calories and is rich in nutrients.
Nutritional values of red pepper:
Nutritional facts according to the USDA, for one chopped cup of bell pepper, this amount contains:
- 39 calories.
- Fat 6 milligrams
- Carbs 3 grams
- Fiber 3.1 grams
- Sugar 6.3 grams
- Protein 1.5 grams
- Vitamin C 190 mg
Carbohydrates:
The carbs in bell peppers are made of fructose and glucose, which are natural sugars. Green peppers have more fiber but less sugar. Both are healthy.
Research hasn’t proved that sweet peppers affect blood sugar. They have very little carbs, so any effect should be very small.
Fats:
Bell pepper has a very low amount of fat, and it is healthy fat, not saturated fat.
Protein:
Most vegetables have a low amount of protein, so we always advise you to get protein from meat, legumes, nuts, and fish in your diet.
Vitamins and minerals:
Bell pepper is full of nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin G, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Besides all these, it's full of antioxidants too. These vitamins support body functions, boost the immune system, help absorb folic acid, and help the body renew collagen, which greatly affects skin and hair.
Vitamin C helps absorb iron from other foods you eat, so it's used to prevent anemia and other blood diseases. It also has a small amount of iron and provides 55% of your daily magnesium needs.
Health benefits of bell pepper:
Most of the health benefits of bell peppers are preventive and boost the immune system as follows:
First benefit: Reduces the risk of getting cancer
Researchers think there’s a link between cancer and eating foods with carotene. Bell peppers are full of carotene so they lower the risk of many cancer types.
Second benefit: Improves heart and blood vessel health
Antioxidants in bell peppers help protect the heart muscle and blood vessels from cell damage and free radicals. Those free radicals cause many diseases like arthritis, nerve problems, and cancer.
Some studies said cooked peppers work better than raw because antioxidants work best then. But these results are only proven in labs, not in the human body.
Third benefit: Protects eyesight
Macular degeneration causes vision loss in old age by spots forming on the retina. But zeaxanthin in bell peppers, oranges, and some veggies slows down this disease.
The fourth benefit: it strengthens bone health
The magnesium in bell peppers helps with this, plus copper and zinc in small amounts assist the magnesium in that task.
