Immune & Recovery
Red Bell Peppers
A crunchy vegetable that, when fully ripened to red, has more vitamin C than an orange.
Immunity
Vision
Skin Health
Serving
1 medium (119g)
Calories Per Serving
37
Key nutrients
Vitamin C, vitamin A, carotenoids
Nutrient density
328
Why it’s worth eating
Red bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, A, and antioxidants. They support skin health and immunity. Eat them raw in salads, roasted, or added to stir-fries and pasta dishes.
What you may notice
Cold/flu frequency
Visual comfort in low light
Markers worth tracking
Vitamin C status
Vitamin A / carotenoid status
How to eat it
Eat raw or lightly cooked to preserve vitamin C, which is sensitive to heat; roasting brings out sweetness if you prefer it cooked.
Pairs well with
Iron-rich foods (beans, leafy greens), vitamin C dramatically improves absorption of non-heme iron
Healthy fats, helps absorb the fat-soluble carotenoids
Storage
Refrigerate in the crisper drawer; whole peppers keep for 1-2 weeks.
The numbers, per 1 medium (119g)
5%
Vitamin K
21%
Vitamin A
169%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
3%
Iron
3%
Magnesium
5%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
2.5g
Peppers, sweet, red, raw (FDC 169276)
Evidence
D
HONEST FLAG: no whole-food clinical outcome trials. The defensible claim is exceptional vitamin C density, a compositional fact. Note that green and red bell peppers are the SAME plant at different ripeness stages.
Study dose vs. serving
Red carries roughly twice the vitamin C and up to about 11x the beta-carotene of green; capsanthin and lycopene appear only on ripening.
USDA FoodData Central (FDC 170108, Peppers, sweet, red, raw): 141.7 mg vitamin C per 100 g, 157% of the Daily Value, higher than an orange.
Use caution if
You have a nightshade sensitivity, bell peppers are part of the nightshade family
You have acid reflux, some people find peppers worsen symptoms
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Field peppers late summer to early autumn; greenhouse year-round
Forms
Fresh, frozen, roasted/jarred, dried (paprika)
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Vitamin C and capsanthin (the red carotenoid)
Heat stable
Partial - vitamin C is heat- and water-labile; capsanthin is fat-soluble and relatively heat-stable, better absorbed with fat
Watch
MYTH CORRECTION: bell peppers contain effectively no capsaicin, unlike chilli peppers - a common confusion. The nightshade and solanine inflammation claim has little to no human evidence; flag as an unsupported hypothesis rather than a disproven one.
Reliability
4 / 5
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