Bell Peppers

Health Benefits
(Source: World's Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan)

Broad-Based Nutrient Benefits from Bell Peppers

While green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables often get more time in the public spotlight than bell peppers, it would be wrong to overlook the rich diversity of nutrients in this sometimes underrated food. In our WHFoods rating system, bell peppers achieve 16 total rankings of either "excellent," "very good," or "good" for their rich conventional nutrient content. Included among the conventional nutrients provided in excellent amounts by bell peppers are vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), and vitamin B6. In fact, bell peppers are our Number 1 vegetable source of vitamin C at WHFoods, and our second best source of vitamin C overall (after papaya). They are also our Number 5 food source of vitamin B6.

In the "very good" conventional nutrient category, bell peppers provide us with a good number of B vitamins (including vitamin B2, vitamin B3, foloate, and pantothenic acid), as well as vitamin E, potassium, molybdenum, and fiber. Bell peppers also contain vitamin K, vitamin B1, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium in good amounts. Overall, we get a remarkable wealth of conventional nutrients from this popular vegetable.

In addition to providing us with such a rich mix of conventional nutrients, however, bell peppers also offer an equally rich mix of phytonutrients. Because most of these phytonutrients fall into the antioxidant category, we've featured them separately in the paragraphs below.

Antioxidant Benefits from Phytonutrients in Bell Peppers

• Flavonoids

  • apigenin

  • hesperidin

  • isoscoparin

  • kaempferol

  • luteolin

  • quercetin

  • myricetin

  • quercetin

  • hesperidin

  • apigenin

  • orientin

  • isoscoparin

• Carotenoids

  • alpha-carotene

  • antheraxanthin

  • beta-carotene

  • capsanthin

  • capsorubin

  • cryptoflavin

  • cryptoxanthin

  • lutein

  • lycopene

  • vicenin

  • zeaxanthin

• Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives

  • ferulic acid

  • chlorogenic acid

  • cinnamic acid

  • coumaric acid

• Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives

  • gallic acid

  In keeping with the many research studies on bell pepper carotenoids, it's worth noting the great antioxidant benefits provided by this group of bell pepper phytonutrients. One cup of freshly sliced bell pepper contains about 1,500 micrograms of beta-carotene, the equivalent of approximately 1/3rd small carrot. Interestingly, red bell peppers may contain greater amounts of beta-carotene than their fellow bell peppers in the yellow and orange category. However, these yellow and orange bell peppers still contain more total carotenoids than the reds. On the list of potential carotenoids provided by bell peppers are alpha-carotene, antheraxanthin, beta-carotene, capsanthin, capsorubin, cryptoflavin, cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene, vicenin, and zeaxanthin. We use the word "potential" because specific carotenoids (and other phytonutrients) can vary substantially as these vegetables mature. For example, while many varieties of bell peppers provide the carotenoids lycopene, other do not. (In fact, our nutrient profile for bell peppers does not show any lycopene to be present, since this specific carotenoid was not identified in the variety of bell pepper that was analyzed. Unless you have a special reason for wanting to increase your intake of one particular carotenoid in your meal plan, we recommend that you consider enjoying the full variety of colors in which bell peppers can be found. In that way you will be most likely to maximize your intake not only of different carotenoids but of bell pepper phytonutrients as a whole.

  Other Potential Health Benefits from Bell Peppers

  For a vegetable with 16 conventional nutrient rankings of "excellent," "very good," or "good" and an equally rich array of antioxidant phytonutrients, what we would expect in health research findings would be risk reduction for numerous chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diseases related to regulation of blood sugar. What these diseases have in common (along with other diseases as well) is an underlying component of oxidative stress. We would expect this component to become less problematic with improved dietary intake of antioxidants. In addition, because many of these antioxidant phytonutrients also act in an anti-inflammatory capacity, we would expect these anti-inflammatory benefits to contribute to lower risk in each of the above disease areas. What is lacking, however, at this point in the research process are large-scale studies that focus on bell pepper intake in everyday meal plans. Animal studies have already shown blood sugar-lowering effects following intake of bell pepper extracts, and lab studies have also suggested different metabolic pathways through which blood sugar might be lowered. But human studies are needed to confirm these same benefits from ordinary food intake. In terms of cardiovascular benefits, we have seen studies showing bile acid binding by fiber-related nutrients in bell peppers. Because this binding process prevents absorption of bile acids up into the body, our liver will seek to replace them by breaking down cholesterol into its component parts - namely, bile acids. So the net result here can be a reduction in our blood cholesterol level. But similar to the research on blood sugar, we need studies on everyday meal plans to draw conclusions about food intake of bell pepper.

  The area of eye health may also turn out to be important with respect to bell pepper intake. Just one cup of sweet green bell pepper slices provides us with 314 micrograms (combined) of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These two particular carotenoids are found in high concentrations in the macula of the eye (the centermost part of the retina), and they are required for protection of the macula from oxygen-related damage. In one condition called age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, the macula of the eye can become damaged and vision can potentially become lost. We would expect future studies on bell pepper intake to show benefits in this area of AMD risk due to the impressive lutein/zeaxanthin content of this vegetable (about 45-50 micrograms for these two carotenoids combined.) In this context, we would also like to note that a recent study has shown red bell peppers to contain greater amounts of lutein than their fellow greens or yellows. One final area of special interest in the potential for bell peppers to help lower risk of neurodegenerative disease, and particularly Alzheimer's disease. Overacculumation of amyloid proteins in the spaces surrounding certain nerve cells (called cholinergic neurons) is known to contribute to our risk of Alzheimer's. In order for these amyloid proteins to accumulate, however, they must first be freed from another protein structure called amyloid precursor protein, or APP. This process is moved along with the help of enzymes called secretases. What recent studies have shown is the ability of bell pepper extracts to block the activity of these secretase enzymes, preventing the release of amyloid proteins. In one study, extracts from both ripe and unripe bell peppers were analyzed, with ripe bell peppers showing a greater ability to block amyloid protein release. While the authors did not report the ripe bell peppers as being any particular color, we would assume that darker shaded bell peppers (from deep oranges to reds to purples) would correspond to the pepper which showed the greatest impact. Once again, we view this area of research as a promising one for demonstrating further health benefits from this vegetable.

  The area of eye health may also turn out to be important with respect to bell pepper intake. Just one cup of sweet green bell pepper slices provides us with 314 micrograms (combined) of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These two particular carotenoids are found in high concentrations in the macula of the eye (the centermost part of the retina), and they are required for protection of the macula from oxygen-related damage. In one condition called age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, the macula of the eye can become damaged and vision can potentially become lost. We would expect future studies on bell pepper intake to show benefits in this area of AMD risk due to the impressive lutein/zeaxanthin content of this vegetable (about 45-50 micrograms for these two carotenoids combined.) In this context, we would also like to note that a recent study has shown red bell peppers to contain greater amounts of lutein than their fellow greens or yellows. One final area of special interest in the potential for bell peppers to help lower risk of neurodegenerative disease, and particularly Alzheimer's disease. Overacculumation of amyloid proteins in the spaces surrounding certain nerve cells (called cholinergic neurons) is known to contribute to our risk of Alzheimer's. In order for these amyloid proteins to accumulate, however, they must first be freed from another protein structure called amyloid precursor protein, or APP. This process is moved along with the help of enzymes called secretases. What recent studies have shown is the ability of bell pepper extacts to block the activity of these secretase enzymes, preventing the release of amyloid proteins. In one study, extracts from both ripe and unripe bell peppers were analyzed, with ripe bell peppers showing a greater ability to block amyloid protein release. While the authors did not report the ripe bell peppers as being any particular color, we would assume that darker shaded bell peppers (from deep oranges to reds to purples) would correspond to the pepper which showed the greatest impact. Once again, we view this area of research as a promising one for demonstrating further health benefits from this vegetable.

Contacts

mail@doforothers.org

Socials

Subscribe to our newsletter

(203) 545-7857