The Benefits of Red Bell Peppers
All bell peppers are good for you, but the best are the red ones! They are loaded with sweet, juicy flavor along with disease fighting antioxidants and all kinds of vitamins and minerals. We eat them like apples in my house, but you can eat them about any way you want...and should!
1 cup of chopped red bell pepper has only 46 little calories and 3g (13%) fiber which may help prevent certain cancers such as colon and aids in digestive health, heart health, weight management and diabetes. Along with those nice numbers:
190mg Vitamin C - 317% - Vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system. This is important in preventing infections as well as some cancers. It also helps increase iron absorption by your body.
4666 IU Vitamin A - 93% - Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, bone growth, immune function, cell function and skin health.
0.4mg Vitamin B6 - 22% - Vitamin B6 helps brain function and helps the body convert protein to energy. And in addition to vitamin B6, red pepper contains a good amount of almost all of the B vitamins. The B vitamins aid in healthy metabolism, skin, immune function, and cell growth and may help relieve symptoms caused by stress, depression and heart disease.
68.5 mcg Folate - 17% - Folate aids in brain health and fights heart disease. It is also necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. It is also thought to play a huge part in preventing birth defects.
2.4 mg Vitamin E - 12% - Vitamin E helps prevent cell damage, cancer and heart disease.
314mg Potassium and 7.3mcg Vitamin K - 9% - Potassium benefits the body in a number of ways including aiding in proper electrolytic functions and keeping the heart, brain, kidney and muscle tissues in good condition. There is also strong evidence that a diet rich in potassium is linked to reduced risk of stroke and that it softens the effects of salt on blood pressure. Vitamin K is essential for proper kidney function and promotes normal blood clotting.
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But....are they too contaminated by pesticides to be beneficial? Red peppers are on the Dirty Dozen List for having the highest levels after washing.
March 5, 2012 - 7:09amThis Comment