6 reasons why you should eat a lot more peppers

Whether red, yellow or green peppers, there is something for every taste. We tell you why peppers are healthy and you should eat them much more often!

When you hear the term superfood, you probably don't immediately think of peppers, do you? Peppers are not really one of the hip foods like avocado, quinoa and co.

The crunchy peppers are mega healthy!

They are rarely on the menu with you?

If you read this article, you will certainly eat more of them. We'll tell you why peppers are healthy and why you should regularly snack, cook or fry them.

These unimagined powers are in the colorful peppers!

6 Reasons Why You Should Eat Peppers Regularly:

Paprika contains valuable ingredients

#1 Folate and potassium

Originally from South America, peppers are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients for our bodies. Peppers also have few calories and should therefore not be avoided in a healthy and balanced diet.

100 grams of raw peppers contain

• 43 calories
• 1,3 g protein
• 0,5 g fat
• 6.4 g carbohydrates

Two ingredients should be highlighted in particular:

Folate

Bell peppers are rich in folates, which promote cell division and growth. You may be familiar with the term folic acid. This is a synthetic version of folate. It is very important especially for pregnant women.

Paprika can be used together with other vegetables containing folate such as cabbage or asparagus, with 55 micrograms per 100 grams, cover a significant part of the daily requirement. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), adults should consume 300 micrograms per day.

Potassium

Paprika also contains a lot of potassium. It is important for the acid-base balance in our body and a necessary component in the transmission of nerve impulses. According to studies, potassium lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

Dietary fiber for digestion

#2 Boost digestion and inhibit appetite

Blood sugar levels rise slowly in people who consume peppers, resulting in a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Dietary fiber promotes digestion and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Do you also often suffer from flatulence or diarrhea? Then we have a decisive tip for you: Eat more peppers!

You already know that sweet peppers are very nutritious. But the vegetable also has a very high fiber content. Dietary fiber promote digestion. In case of diarrhea you should eat the pods only for prevention but not in acute cases.

Those with sensitive stomachs or who frequently suffer from heartburn should peel the skin off the peppers.

To do this, you can scald the peppers with hot water and then peel off the skin.

Alternatively, the pods can be placed in the oven at 220 degrees. After a few minutes, they are then wrapped in a damp cloth. A short time later, the skin can be easily removed.

Vitamin C

#3 Strengthen immune system

Peppers are very nutritious because they contain a lot of vitamin C, which is important for maintaining healthy veins. With a content of 140 milligrams per 100 grams (red, raw bell bell pepper), the fruit even competes with citrus fruits in terms of vitamins. Oranges and lemons, with 45 and 50 milligrams, respectively, have less than a third of the amount of peppers.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in a variety of bodily functions. It preserves our connective tissue (collagen) and protects us from free radicals that damage our cells. It also helps in the utilization of iron in the body.

Vitamin C cannot be produced in the body, therefore a Supply via food required. Therefore, the DGE recommends a daily vitamin C intake of 95 milligrams for women and 110 milligrams for men. With more than 100 grams of peppers, this recommendation is more than met.

According to studies, the water-soluble vitamin C can help prevent the development of eye diseases.

Lots of antioxidants

#4 Fight free radicals

Peppers belong to the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes and eggplants. Peppers contain many antioxidants in similar quantities as other vegetables, which makes them healthy.

Antioxidants protect our bodies from harmful chemicals such as free radicals by neutralizing them. The different colors of the peppers represent the different degree of ripeness of the plant and thus also the different degree of antioxidant activity

Capsanthin

It is responsible for the red color (and higher degree of ripeness) and is more abundant in red peppers. Capsaicin is the substance responsible for the hotness of peppers. You'll find it mostly in the small relatives of peppers, the chilies.

Capsaicin has the property that it triggers a pain and heat stimulus without irritating the taste buds on the tongue. You can determine the spiciness of the pod with the help of the Scoville index. This value indicates the content of capsaicin in the respective fruit.

Quercetin and luteolin

Quercetin is also found in peppers and belongs to a class of antioxidants. According to researchers, quercetin has the ability to lower high blood pressure.

Luteolin is another antioxidant that makes peppers healthy. It inhibits the permeability of blood vessels and has been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease.

Peppers are healthy for eyes and retina

#5 Strengthen vision

Vegetable peppers are not only full of vitamin C and antioxidants, but also contain many other important nutrients.

One of them is vitamin A. This vitamin is especially good for the eyes. Vitamin A helps retina and lens to protect themselves from free radicals.

Two special antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which belong to the carotenoid family, ensure that the vegetable is also good for our eyes. These two substances, which give peppers their distinctive yellow and orange hue, have been linked to better vision in many studies.

They also protect our eyes from harmful influences such as blue light and oxygen radicals, thus reducing the risk of age-related eye diseases.

In short, peppers, especially yellow and orange peppers, protect our eyes by maintaining their health. Vitamin C helps prevent eye diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Combat fatigue and concentration lows

#6 Iron and vitamin C provide more power

Anemia (anemia - the level of the red blood pigment hemoglobin is reduced) is usually caused by an iron deficiency. This condition manifests itself in various ways, such as fatigue, lack of attention and listlessness.

Peppers are a mediocre source of iron at 0.55 mg per 100 grams, but because they are so high in vitamin C, they play an important role. In numerous studies, researchers have found a positive correlation between vitamin C and iron absorption.

Therefore, the high vitamin C content of red peppers (especially in red bell peppers) can promote the absorption of iron from the intestine into the bloodstream. This leads to an increase in hemoglobin levels in the blood.

Eating bell peppers along with iron-rich foods such as legumes or spinach can significantly reduce the risk of anemia, according to this study.

Other positive properties of sweet bell pepper

In addition to the properties already mentioned, the colorful vegetables are attributed other positive functions:

• helpful against thrombosis
• Connective tissue is strengthened
• Blood circulation of stomach, heart and skin is promoted
• Defenses are strengthened
• useful for arthritis and sore muscles

Why is red bell bell pepper healthier than green?

Do you actually know how it comes to the different colors of peppers? The color indicates at which stage of ripeness the healthy bell pepper was harvested.

Green peppers are the unripe pods. They contain less vitamin C than their red counterparts and taste comparatively tart. Some would describe them as boring, but I love them!

The yellow pods are already more mature than the green ones. Therefore, they have already developed a stronger flavor of their own.

Fully matured pods are available in a strong orange or in red. They convince with their aromatic, intense, slightly sweet taste.

Yellow and red peppers contain carotenoids. This secondary plant substance protects your cells from harmful environmental influences. Peppers are also mega healthy for your heart - especially the red ones.

In the red peppers, the content of vitamin C is immensely high. 100 grams of red peppers contain 400 milligrams of vitamin C. Green peppers, on the other hand, "only" 140 milligrams. Thus, bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges!

In the meantime, however, the healthy sweet bell pepper is not only available in the traffic light colors. Through experimentation, sweet peppers are also available in many other shapes and colors.

Just the other day I saw black, purple and white peppers at the market. I had to grab them right away. Their taste reminds me of green peppers. Most of these special varieties are also somewhat smaller.

By the way, you can easily plant peppers in a pot at home on the balcony. I've been doing this for a few years now and it always works out wonderfully!

It's that easy to grow peppers yourself!

In short, this is what makes peppers interesting for weight loss

Depending on the color and degree of ripeness, peppers contain only 19 to 28 kilocalories per 100 grams.

With a high water content of over 90 percent, bell peppers are a deliciously refreshing, low-calorie raw food. But the low calorie count is far from all that makes bell peppers healthy.

It's no secret that the sweet bell pepper is very nutritious. The delicious pods have a high content of potassium, zinc, calcium and magnesium.

Moreover, peppers are so healthy because they are rich in vitamins. Besides vitamins A and B, you can find a lot of vitamin C in them.

That is why the vegetables help to lose weight:

• According to one study mild vegetable peppers have comparable fat-burning abilities to their hot relatives, the chilies. The peppers are said to help with weight loss. They also increase energy consumption and promote fat burning.
• Bell peppers are a fantastic source of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. They are also good for digestion as they contain a lot of fiber and make you feel full at the same time.
• The bell pepper can be eaten by people with fructose intolerance, because it has almost the same glucose-fructose ratio.

These vegetables contain particularly few calories!

Why peppers are healthiest when you eat them raw

Half a bell bell pepper is sufficient to cover the daily requirement of vitamin C. However, vitamin C is just as sensitive to heat as the carotene it contains.

So if you want to meet your vitamin C and carotene needs with peppers, you should eat them raw.

Why is that? Quite simple. Carotenes are in small oil droplets in the intercellular walls. This makes it very readily available when eaten raw. If you cook or boil sweet peppers, these oil droplets are dissolved by the heat and destroyed.

What you can best use peppers and chili for

Peppers are one of the most versatile vegetables. There are almost no dishes where peppers or chili can not be used.

Sweet peppers are ideal for adding to fresh salads. But also steamed or grilled, the peppers are a real treat. Especially with Mediterranean food, the colorful vegetables should not be missing.

Besides the fresh use, you can also use the paprika powder. However, you will not find any traces of vitamin C in the powder.

With chilies, you can give your dishes a little more pizzazz. Whether used as an ingredient in chili con carne or in other dishes, caution is advised when using them.

Soups or stews are cooked on the stove for a long time. The longer fresh chilies are cooked, the stronger the spiciness comes out.

If you want to be on the safe side, add fresh chilies at the very end.

What to look for in storage to keep peppers healthy

Do you store peppers in the refrigerator? You should not do that.

Indeed, sweet peppers are extremely sensitive to cold, since they actually come from warmer regions.

The perfect temperature is between 8 and 10 degrees. The place of storage should be dry and dark in the best case.

With high humidity, the risk of mold is high. So it's best to store the colorful vegetables in the cellar or in a pantry. This way they stay fresh for at least two weeks.

Our conclusion

Go ahead and eat peppers more often. The colorful peppers have a lot of healthy ingredients to offer. They're all healthy, but the red peppers offer the most vitamin C. They're also far more aromatic than their green counterparts. They are also far more aromatic than their green counterparts.

To ensure that peppers are healthy, you should always pay attention to the quality and the country of origin when buying them. The plants are treated with a lot of pesticides. Do not forget to wash well!

Enjoy! :)

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