Why You Need to be Eating Red Bell Peppers

Weight Maintenance

If you are trying to lose weight without sacrificing nutrition, red bell peppers can be beneficial. Each medium pepper provides 1.18 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of natural sugar, with only 37 calories. Whether you have red bell peppers in a breakfast omelet, on a salad at lunch or with other sauteed vegetables at dinner, they can contribute flavor to a variety of foods without adding an abundance of calories, fat or cholesterol.

Antioxidants

A medium red bell pepper is rich in antioxidants, providing 154 milligrams of vitamin C, nearly twice your recommended daily intake of 75 to 90 milligrams, and about 25 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A, with 187 micrograms. It also provides 55 micrograms of folate and 1.88 milligrams of vitamin E, giving you about 10 percent of your daily needs for those nutrients. Getting enough antioxidants each day can benefit your immune system and help keep your cells healthy.

B Vitamins

A red bell pepper contains B vitamins that are essential for growth and development. It has .064 milligram of thiamin, .1 milligram of riboflavin and 1.16 milligrams of niacin, giving you small amounts of these vitamins to supplement your diet. It also provides 1.17 milligrams of vitamin B-6, nearly all of the 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams of B-6 that you need each day. An adequate intake of vitamin B-6 helps your body make neurotransmitters and may reduce breast cancer risk factors, according to a 2012 study published in "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention."

Minerals

A large red bell pepper provides 1.3 milligrams of manganese, a mineral that helps develop strong bones and connective tissues. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get 1.8 milligrams of manganese per day, while men need 2.3 milligrams; a red bell pepper gives you 55 to 75 percent of your daily value for that nutrient, which may help prevent osteoporosis, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. It also provides 8 milligrams of calcium, half a milligram of iron, 14 milligrams of magnesium, 31 milligrams of phosphorus, 251 milligrams of potassium and .3 milligrams of zinc, supplementing your diet with small amounts of these minerals.

Anti-Inflammatory

Sweet bell peppers, as well as spicy chile peppers, are filled with the phytochemical capsaicin, which packs an impressive punch against inflammation. Capsaicin reduces levels of substance P, the compound in the body that triggers inflammation and pain impulses from the central nervous system. It is also thought that this pain-relieving phytochemical triggers the body to release endorphins, nature’s own opiates. Red peppers are also filled with salicylates, which are aspirin-like compounds.