What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘bell pepper’? It has shape like papaya and has various types in colour and the taste is a bit spicy. Bell peppers are usually used as an ingredient in cooking.
Well, many people are still mistaken if bell pepper is a vegetable, but you know it is actually a fruit. Bell pepper has many types, such as red, green, orange, yellow, and purple peppers.
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper, is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. It has many benefits for health but the most phenomenal benefit is it can prevent and treat a dangerous cancer cells which cause various cancer diseases. In this article, only red and green peppers’ health benefits for human that will be discussed.
Red and Green Bell Peppers Nutrition Facts
Red and green peppers are also rich in antioxidants which found in carotenoid substance. The sufficient content of antioxidants makes red and green peppers can prevent free radicals.
Green peppers nutritional value per 100 grams
- Energy                                84 kJ (20 kcal)
- Carbohydrates           4.64 g
- Fat                                         0.17 g
- Protein                  0.86 g
- Vitamin A equiv.              (2%) 18 µg
- Thiamine (B1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (5%) 0.057 mg
- Riboflavin (B2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (2%) 0.028 mg
- Niacin (B3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (3%) 0.48 mg
- Pantothenic acid (B5) Â Â Â (2%) 0.099 mg
- Vitamin B6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (17%) 0.224 mg
- Folate (B9)              (3%) 10 µg
- Vitamin C Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (97%) 80.4 mg
- Vitamin E Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (2%) 0.37 mg
- Vitamin K               (7%) 7.4 µg
- Calcium                 (1%) 10 mg
- Iron                    (3%) 0.34 mg
- Magnesium             (3%) 10 mg
- Manganese              (6%) 0.122 mg
- Phosphorus             (3%) 20 mg
- Potassium                         (4%) 175 mg
- Sodium                 (0%) 3 mg
- Zinc                    (1%) 0.13 mg
- Water                                 93.9 g
Red pepper nutritional value per 100 grams
- Calories                               130 kJ (31 kcal)
- Carbohydrates          6.3 gr
- Protein                 1 gr
- Fat                     0.3 gr
- Vitamin AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3131IU
- Vitamin CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 128mg
- Vitamin EÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.6 mg
- Vitamin KÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.9 mcg
- Thiamin                               0.1 mg
- Riboflavin                           0.1 mg
- Niacin                                   1.0 mg
- Vitamin B6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.3 mg
- Folate                                  46 mcg
- Vitamin BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 120 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid        0.3 mg
- Choline                                5.6 mg
- Betaine                  0.1 mg
- Calcium                 7 mg
- Iron                                       0.4mg
- Magnesium              12 mg
- Phosphorus             26 mg
- Potassium               211mg
- Sodium                                4 mg
- Zinc                    0.3 mg
- Manganese             0.1 mg
- Selenium                            0.1 mcg
- Water                                  92.2 g
Unexpected Health Benefits of Red and Green Bell Peppers
Besides use bell peppers as the ingredients in cooking, health benefits of eating raw bell peppers also serves many health benefits. The most important benefits of red and green peppers is in the ability of preventing dangerous diseases like cancer and cardiovascular. They may have small size but they have tremendous benefits in preventing or treating ailments.
- Prevent Cancer
Consuming red and green peppers is the same as you avoiding from cancer. Red and green peppers contain anti-cancer compounds (such as sulphur, carotenoid, and enzymes) that play an active role in your body to fight against abnormal cells (cancer cells). Some diseases that can be prevented by red and green peppers are stomach, prostate, uterine, throat, pancreatic cancer. You may also read symptoms of lung cancer
- Prevent Cardiovascular
The nutritional contents in peppers such as protein, minerals, and various kinds of vitamins, especially the content of anti-inflammatory properties can prevent inflammation in arteries which means it can prevent heart disease.
- Prevent Cataract
Eating red and green peppers are good food your eyes health, especially for old people because they are more vulnerable of getting problems with their eyes. By consuming red and green peppers you don’t have to be worry to get cataract because they have lutein enzymes that plays role in preventing cataract disease.
- Boost Immunity
The benefits of red and green peppers are not only to make the body healthy, but also keep our immune system to be strong so there have no chance for viruses and germs to attack our body. This is because the content of vitamin C that can nourish immune system.
- Maintain Body Metabolism
The antioxidant properties in red and green peppers will make sure your food run smoothly
- Spider Veins Treatment
Bell peppers have been found to be useful for the prevention and treatment of spider veins because it has certain properties that can strengthen blood vessels in the body. If you have spider veins on your feet, you eat red and green peppers regularly to reduce spider veins and prevent the formation of another spider veins to appear in your feet.Â
- Anti-inflammatory Properties
Bell peppers are known for their rich in anti-inflammatory properties, including red and green peppers. Anti-inflammatory properties are beneficial for people who suffering from autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. It also helps relieving swelling caused by arthritis.
- Lower Blood Pressure
The benefit of bell peppers that can lower blood pressure is gotten from the content of capsaicin which has ability to help lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.
- Make the Nerves Keep healthy
Unhealthy nerves usually make people feel sore. Moreover, it can make people’s emotion uncontrolled. Therefore, the nerves need to be nourished thus eat red peppers regularly to get your nerves better.
Related articles:
- Health Benefits of White Peppers
- Health Benefits of Black Peppers
- Health Benefits of Cayenne Peppers
Red and Green Peppers for Skin Health
More Health Benefits of Red and Green Bell Peppers:
- Treat Injured Skin
If you got your skin hurt, you can use red or green pepper to cure it. The vitamin C content can help your skin to recover from injuries.
- Anti-aging
Red and green peppers are rich in beta-carotene, which is can be transformed into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is very important for maintaining skin health. It prevents wrinkles and promotes bright skin.
- Make Your Skin Glowing
Besides using it as the ingredient in cooking, red or green pepper can be used as facial mask. It will remove your skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, sagging, and dull skin. Moreover, it will make your skin soft and radiant.
- Treatment for Skin Problems
The extraordinary antibacterial properties of bell peppers, make it effective to treat any kinds of skin problems that caused by bacteria. In addition, it can help prevent the occurrence of acne.
- Prevent Anemia
Both red and green peppers contain iron which it is involved in the formation of red blood cells thus it can prevent from anemia.
- Promote Healthy Eyes
Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining healthy eyesight. Both red and green peppers contain carotenoid. There are four types of carotenoids which can be found in bell pepper; cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. Lutein and zea-xanthin can help to reduce the risk of cataract. You may also read Benefits of Taurine for Eyes
Related articles:
- Health Benefits of Red Bell Peppers
- Health Benefits of Yellow Bell Peppers
- Health Benefits of Purple Bell Peppers
Red and Green Peppers for Hair Treatment
More Health Benefits of Red and Green Bell Peppers:
- Prevent Hair Loss
The vitamin B6 in pepper can help to prevent hair loss. It also contains iron which facilitates the transfer of oxygen to the hair follicles. You may also read benefits of fish oil for hair loss treatment is also good to help you to treat hair loss
- Keep Hair Color
Besides preventing hair loss, vitamin b6 can produce melanin which gives pigment to your hair.
Related articles:
More health benefits of Red and Green Peppers
- Help Digestion
- Promote Deep Sleep
- Prevent Scurvy Disease
- Promote Developing Healthy Cells
- Rich in Anti-bacterial properties
- Promote Weight Loss
- Diabetes Treatment
- Treat Canker Sore Symptoms
- Natural Source of Vitamins
- Enhance Muscle Function
- Regulate Blood Pressure
- Dry Skin Moisturizer
- Pain Reliever
Precaution and Warning
Now, you have known the health benefits of both red peppers and green peppers. Note that if one thing has good effects, on the other hand it also has bad effects. Therefore, you need to consider some bad effects of consuming red and green pepper or any other type of bell peppers.
- Be careful because it may cause burning sensation if you using it as a facial mask
- It may irritate nasal passages, eyes, mouth, and throat
- It may cause bleeding during and after surgery
- Do not apply it on the skin of children