A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, sweet bell peppers are centre of attraction in our salad plate. It’s found in vivid colours ranging from green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown to black. Despite their varied palette, all are the same plant, known botanically as Capsicum annuum. Peppers also differ in taste; viz, Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter. Amazingly Bell peppers are not hot as they lack primary substance that controls "hotness" called capsaicin.
Blammed hOTTY but truely beneficial...
• Bell pepper is an excellent source of carotenoids, viz; alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin and Vit C, Vit K. If you want to maximize the availability of vitamin C and carotenoids from bell pepper, allow this amazing vegetable to ripen.
• Higher heat cooking can damage some of the delicate phytonutrients in bell peppers.
• Apart from Allium group of vegetables (onion, garlic), bell peppers contains abundant of sulphur.
• Enzymes in bell peppers called cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases play a role in a sulphur-containing metabolic pathway called the thiomethyl shunt producing anti cancer benefits.
• Bell peppers also contains Vitamic B1, B2, B3, B6, C, Follate, E, K, Pantothenic acid, magnesium and phosphorus.
• Bell peppers are low in calories! So, even if you eat one full cup of them, you get just about 45 calories along with bonus of Vitamin A and C.
• They contain plenty of vitamin C, which powers up your immune system and keeps skin youthful. The highest amount of Vitamin C in a bell pepper is concentrated in the red variety.
• Peppers also contain essential minerals, like zinc, iron, copper, potassium, selenium, magnesium and manganese.
• The anti-inflammatory capsaicin in bell peppers has multiple health benefits. Studies show that it reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol, controls diabetes, brings relief from pain and eases inflammation.
• If cooked for a short period on low heat, bell peppers retain most of their sweet, almost fruity flavor and flavonoid content, which is a powerful nutrient.
• The sulphur content in bell peppers makes them play a protective role in certain types of cancers.
• The bell pepper is a good source of Vitamin E, which is known to play a key role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful.
• Bell peppers also contain vitamin B6, which is essential for the health of the nervous system and helps renew cells.
• Certain enzymes in bell peppers, such as lutein, protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration later in life.
Additional & Rational benefits of pepper.....
• Weight Loss: Surprising but true, eating sweet peppers aids weight loss, due to presence of substance called Capsaicin, which helps in burning calories by increasing the body metabolic temp.
• Skin Care: Sweet peppers also helps to protect skin against harmful effects of UV rays, due to presence of capsinoid – capsiate.
• Pain Relief: The capsiate present in sweet peppers is an anti-inflammatory in nature, thus helps to reduce pain in conditions of arthritis.
• Cancer: Sweet peppers contain many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and have anti carcinogenic properties.
Dr Harkirat S Wilkhoo www.wellnessdrwilkhoo.com
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