Bell Peppers: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) are the mild, thick-walled fruits of a plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The whole fruit is eaten except the stem and seeds, raw or cooked, in green, yellow, orange and red colors. People eat them for vitamin C, fiber and colorful plant pigments called carotenoids. This page covers bell peppers as a food and keeps them apart from supplements and from hype. Hot chili peppers are a different product; see chili peppers.

Read this first

• Allergy: pepper allergy is described as rare, but it is documented, and people with latex allergy or pollen-related food allergies may react to peppers. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs. [1]
• Nightshade worries: Harvard Health says there is no scientific evidence that avoiding nightshade vegetables improves rheumatoid arthritis. [2] If a food seems to make you feel worse, that is worth discussing with a clinician.
• Vitamin C: a red bell pepper is among the higher food sources of vitamin C in the table used by the Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin C prevents scurvy; eating peppers has not been shown to prevent colds. [3][4]
• Evidence in one line: studies of people who eat more vegetables in general link it with lower risk of heart disease and early death, but these are observational studies, and we found no trial of bell peppers on a disease outcome.

What is in it (USDA values)

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy items 170108 (sweet red pepper, raw) and 170427 (sweet green pepper, raw). [5][6] The serving is the USDA household portion of 1 cup chopped (149 g) for both. Where two numbers are given, the first is red and the second is green.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage. Serving columns and percentages are our arithmetic from the USDA per-100 g values.

Ripeness and color. The two USDA items differ clearly. Red pepper has more vitamin C, vitamin A (from beta-carotene) and folate, while green has more lutein plus zeaxanthin. [5][6] A 2019 review says pepper carotenoids, mainly capsanthin and capsorubin together with beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, vary in profile and level with the stage of fruit maturity. [7] We did not read a source that compares yellow and orange peppers, so USDA numbers for them are not shown here.

Plant compounds. The same review describes carotenoids as fat-soluble antioxidants and says in vitro (lab), animal and clinical studies point to protective effects against degenerative diseases. [7] We read only the abstract, so we cannot tell how strong the human part is. Treat it as lab-level evidence for peppers specifically. USDA lists lycopene as 0 in both raw items. [5][6]

What research says

People who eat more vegetables also differ from others in income, exercise and smoking, so a link is not proof that vegetables, or peppers, are the cause.

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. The Cochrane cold results used vitamin C tablets, not peppers, so they tell us nothing about eating peppers. [8] The NHS says taking more than 1,000 mg a day of vitamin C as supplements may cause stomach pain, diarrhea and gas, and that this stops when the supplements are stopped. [4] We did not read trials of pepper extracts or capsule products and make no claims about them.

How much is a normal serving

This is information, not a prescription. The USDA household portion is 1 cup chopped (149 g), 1 cup sliced (92 g) or 1 medium pepper (119 g). [5] The NHS counts 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables as one of its 5 A DAY portions (page last reviewed 9 June 2026), and the WHO fact sheet (26 January 2026) says everyone older than 10 should aim for at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables a day. [11][12] We did not read a source on how cooking, freezing or canning changes the vitamin C in peppers. The NHS vitamin C page does not describe cooking effects. [4]

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Allergy: a 2022 paper says allergy to Capsicum (the pepper genus) is considered rare and lists nine reported pepper allergens, among them a profilin and a protein related to latex allergens. [1]
• Latex link: the same paper says bell pepper can cross-react with latex through some of these proteins. [1] If you have a latex allergy or reactions to other fruits, vegetables or pollens, tell an allergist; they can test for it. The paper does not study birch or mugwort cross-reactions directly, though it notes that nightshades are part of the celery-birch-mugwort-spice pattern. [1]
• Oral allergy symptoms: the sources we read do not describe the exact mouth symptoms from bell peppers or whether cooking removes them. The paper does not test cooking. [1] Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.
• Case detail: the paper's main case was one 16-year-old with several food and pollen allergies whose reactions to chili pepper included swelling and anaphylaxis, so reactions can be serious. [1]
• Nightshade-avoidance claims: the Arthritis Foundation says all nightshades contain solanine, but it found no research showing toxicity at typical food amounts; green potatoes are the exception it names, not peppers. Older mouse studies suggested gut harm, newer ones the opposite, and it notes mouse studies rarely carry over to people. [10] If you suspect a sensitivity, it describes an elimination and re-introduction approach; ask a clinician first.
• Medicines: a one-cup serving gives about 6% to 9% of the vitamin K Daily Value by our arithmetic from USDA, far less than leafy greens. [5][6] We did not find a source describing a medicine interaction with bell peppers as a food. See foods and medicine interactions.
• Pesticide residues: pepper lists such as the EWG "Dirty Dozen" exist, but we could not open the EWG or USDA Pesticide Data Program pages, so we do not report their numbers. Washing under running water is the FDA's advice for all produce. [13]

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged, and bag it separately from raw meat, poultry and seafood. [13]
• Wash peppers under running water before cutting; the FDA says not to use soap, detergent or commercial produce wash, and to dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. [13]
• Keep cut or pre-cut peppers in a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. [13]

Related pages

• Chili peppers
• Black pepper, cayenne and capsaicin foods
• Tomatoes
• Sweet potatoes, carrots and orange vegetables
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce