Bell Peppers

In this blog, I wanted to spotlight the health benefits of bell peppers. Many vegetables including bell peppers are plentiful in the summer months. Bell peppers are easy to grow and are quite flavorful, which is why many people like to grow them in their garden. Bell peppers come in a variety of sizes and colors including red, green and yellow. Bell peppers are also crunchy and sweet and include a variety of healthful nutrients. Some nutrients found in bell peppers include: calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fiber. They also contain a fair amount of iron, which is helps with blood oxygenation and energy. Bell peppers have other health benefits, as well. 

Health Benefits of Bell Peppers

Helps Boost Immunity

Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, which naturally helps boost your immune system. Bell peppers also have a high iron content. Iron is needed for immune cell reproduction and maturation, which works to keep you healthy. If your body is low in iron, you might not be able to fight off infections as fast as others and your body may take longer to heal and recover from illnesses. Eating bell peppers and other foods rich in iron and vitamin C can help you stay healthy and boost your immune system. Try adding bell peppers to salads, spaghetti sauce, stir fries or home made pizza to boost your energy.

Good For Eye Health

Eating bell peppers is good for your eye health. That’s because bell peppers are rich in carotenoids. In fact, bell peppers contain over 30 different types of carotenoids including beta-carotene, lypocene and leutin. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that help fight macular degeneration and help protect your eyes from the blue rays of the sun, which can be quite damaging.

Helps With Heart Health

Bell peppers are rich in antioxidants that help fight inflammation in the body. Eating foods rich in carotenoids helps reduce the damaging affects of oxidation, including in your arteries and in turn helps keep your heart healthy. Try making bell peppers and other foods rich in carotenoids a regular part of your diet.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

P. S. If you are interested in reading more about healthful eating and living a healthy lifestyle, you might want to check out my book, Wholey Cow A Simple Guide To Eating And Living.

Source:

¹Axe, Dr. Josh. “Bell Peppers Fight Disease + Weight Gain.” Dr. Axe, 18 Dec. 2019, draxe.com/nutrition/bell-pepper-nutrition/.

2Zelman, Kathleen M. “Eating Peppers: Ingredients, Benefits, and Prep Tips.” WebMD, WebMD, 12 Nov. 2018, www.webmd.com/diet/peppers-health-benefits#1.