hypolipidaemic
Bell peppers are one of my favourite foods. Also known as sweet peppers, they can be added to most meals, from tasty snack, to casseroles, to stir-fry, to the barbeque. Raw or cooked they are low-carb, and nutrient packed good whole food. Bell pepper nutrition values and flavour change from colour to colour. Here’s a look at why bell peppers are a great addition to any diet.
Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts
Bell peppers are a great low carb option for getting some important vitamins. Red peppers contain vitamin K1, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, potassium and manganese. They are a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), vitamin B6, and folate.1
Yellow bell peppers contain dietary fibre, vitamin A, niacin, magnesium and copper. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, and a good source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and manganese.2
Green peppers contain thiamin, niacin, folate, magnesium and copper. They are a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K1, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese.3
Each colour will supply you with its own nutritional profile and you should eat each colour for an optimal nutritional medley.
Bell Pepper Health Benefits
Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients to have in your diet. It works to boost your immune system, fighting illness and even helps your body deal with stress. It is important for your body to be able to deal with free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. This one nutrient has an incredible ability to lower your risk of disease and can help prevent the common cold.
If you are sick, stressed, or dealing with infection you should be getting, even more, vitamin C. Help your body stay healthy with this incredible vitamin. What’s more is that it is needed to form collagen, the main protein agent for bone and tissue formation.
The big problem is that most people are not getting enough vitamin C in their diet. This is a common problem in low-carb diets. Often we think of vitamin C coming from high-sugar fruits but bell peppers are fantastic low carb sources of this nutrient. In fact, yellow bell peppers are one of nature’s best sources of vitamin C, and they are completely sugar-free.
The vitamin B6 found in bell peppers is important for the formation of healthy red blood cells. The vitamin K1 (found most substantially in green peppers) is needed for blood clotting. Bell peppers also contain quercetin, which is an antioxidant that helps with blood pressure. It’s great when whole foods contain the necessary vitamins for a healthy you.
Bell peppers are a rich source of many antioxidants. Like with their lists of vitamins, bell peppers have different antioxidants depending on colour.
Besides lowering blood pressure, quercetin has also been shown to lower your risk of cancer.
Capsanthin is a powerful antioxidant found in red peppers. It is responsible for their bright colour and may help protect against cancer.
Lutein is an antioxidant that is important for eye health. It is found in all bell pepper, but notably in yellow and orange peppers.
Luteolin is a flavone found in bell peppers that has an anti-inflammatory effect. This is important because inflammation in a leading factor in most diseases.
These are just some of the health benefits in bell pepper nutrition. Despite these benefits, some people are leery of bell peppers because they are a nightshade plant and the high water levels can cause these plants to mold easily. Overall eating fresh bell peppers will supply you with so many important nutrients that they are hard to turn down.
