NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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bell-pepper

A vitamin-C powerhouse — one red pepper delivers nearly double a full day's vitamin C for just 31 calories.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium red bell pepper, raw (119 g)

119gSERVING
  • Sugars 5 g4%
  • Fibre 2.5 g2%
  • Protein 1.2 g1%
  • Other 110.3 g93%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C100%+Fiber9%Potassium5%Folate14%Vitamin A21%Vitamin K5%Vitamin B621%Manganese6%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
31 kcal1.2 g protein2.5 g fiber5 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C152 mg169%
Fiber2.5 g9%
Potassium251 mg5%
Folate55 µg14%
Vitamin A187 µg21%
Vitamin K5.8 µg5%
Vitamin B60.35 mg21%
Manganese0.13 mg6%
Copper0.02 mg2%
Vitamin E1.9 mg13%
Magnesium14 mg3%
Calcium8 mg1%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is bell-pepper?

bell-pepper is a vegetable used for exceptional vitamin c density (~170% rda per pepper). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Red bell pepper is among the most vitamin-C-dense common vegetables, with a single medium pepper supplying roughly 150 mg (about 170% of the adult RDA) plus provitamin-A carotenoids, vitamin B6 and folate. The strongest human evidence relates to its signature nutrient, vitamin C: pooled randomized trials show modest blood-pressure lowering, and large prospective cohorts link higher dietary and circulating vitamin C to lower cardiovascular and stroke mortality. Evidence specific to the Capsicum genus (chili/capsaicin trials) is more preliminary and heterogeneous, and bell peppers themselves are sweet and non-pungent, so most of the rigorous data is for the vitamin and carotenoid content rather than capsaicin.

Purported Benefits

✓Exceptional vitamin C density (~170% RDA per pepper)
✓Modest blood-pressure lowering via vitamin C
✓Associated with lower stroke and cardiovascular mortality
✓Provitamin-A carotenoids for eye and skin health
✓Very low calorie, high water and fiber

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 medium red bell pepper, raw (119 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
vitamin C (ascorbic acid)capsanthinbeta-caroteneluteinzeaxanthinquercetinluteolin

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe and well tolerated. Bell peppers are nightshades (Solanaceae) and contain trace solanine-type alkaloids, but at negligible levels; some people report digestive discomfort or report nightshade sensitivity. Raw peppers are a moderate source of fructose and can trigger symptoms in people with FODMAP sensitivity or IBS. Birch-pollen-allergic individuals may experience oral allergy syndrome. Vitamin K content is low, so no meaningful warfarin interaction. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining bell-pepper with any medicine.

Key Studies

meta-analysis Guan 2023 (meta-analysis) ✓ Source
Pooled RCTs (median 500 mg/d, ~8 wk) found vitamin C supplementation reduced systolic BP by -3.84 mmHg (95% CI -5.29 to -2.38) and diastolic BP by -1.48 mmHg (95% CI -2.86 to -0.10).
systematic review / meta-analysis Red pepper/capsaicin 2025 (meta-analysis, GRADE) ✓ PubMed
Systematic review with GRADE of RCTs found red pepper/capsaicin produced only modest, statistically unstable reductions in total cholesterol and diastolic BP that became non-significant on sensitivity analysis (low certainty).
meta-analysis Kaur 2021 (meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Pooled prospective cohorts found higher chili-pepper (Capsicum) intake associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR ~0.75) and cardiovascular mortality, supporting Capsicum-genus cardiometabolic signals.
meta-analysis Ran 2020 (meta-analysis) ✓ PubMed
Dose-response meta-analysis of 18 cohorts (320,548 participants) linked highest vs lowest vitamin C intake to 21% lower cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.89); circulating vitamin C RR 0.60 (95% CI 0.42-0.78).
meta-analysis Aune 2018 / Public Health Nutr (meta-analysis) ✓ PubMed
Updated meta-analysis confirming inverse dose-response between dietary/circulating vitamin C and total cardiovascular mortality, with apparent threshold near ~200 mg/day intake.
meta-analysis Chen 2013 (meta-analysis) ✓ Source
Across 217,454 participants, high vs low dietary vitamin C was associated with lower stroke risk (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74-0.90); circulating vitamin C RR 0.62 (95% CI 0.49-0.79).
meta-analysis Juraschek 2011 (meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (556 participants, median 500 mg/d for 30 d) found vitamin C supplementation significantly lowered serum uric acid by -0.35 mg/dL (95% CI -0.66 to -0.04).
Cochrane systematic review Hemilä 2013 (Cochrane review) ✓ Full text
Regular vitamin C did not prevent colds in the general population but shortened cold duration by 8% in adults and 14% in children; halved cold risk in people under extreme physical stress.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about bell-pepper

What is bell-pepper used for?

bell-pepper is most often taken for Exceptional vitamin C density (~170% RDA per pepper), Modest blood-pressure lowering via vitamin C, Associated with lower stroke and cardiovascular mortality, Provitamin-A carotenoids for eye and skin health. A vitamin-C powerhouse — one red pepper delivers nearly double a full day's vitamin C for just 31 calories.

Does bell-pepper work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Red bell pepper is among the most vitamin-C-dense common vegetables, with a single medium pepper supplying roughly 150 mg (about 170% of the adult RDA) plus provitamin-A carotenoids, vitamin B6 and folate. The strongest human evidence relates to its signature nutrient, vitamin C: pooled randomized trials show modest blood-pressure lowering, and large prospective cohorts link higher dietary and circulating vitamin C to lower cardiovascular and stroke mortality. Evidence specific to the Capsicum genus (chili/capsaicin trials) is more preliminary and heterogeneous, and bell peppers themselves are sweet and non-pungent, so most of the rigorous data is for the vitamin and carotenoid content rather than capsaicin.

What is the typical dose of bell-pepper?

Standard serving: 1 medium red bell pepper, raw (119 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is bell-pepper safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe and well tolerated. Bell peppers are nightshades (Solanaceae) and contain trace solanine-type alkaloids, but at negligible levels; some people report digestive discomfort or report nightshade sensitivity. Raw peppers are a moderate source of fructose and can trigger symptoms in people with FODMAP sensitivity or IBS. Birch-pollen-allergic individuals may experience oral allergy syndrome. Vitamin K content is low, so no meaningful warfarin interaction.

How many studies support bell-pepper?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for bell-pepper, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). bell-pepper: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/bell-pepper

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_bell_pepper,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {bell-pepper: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/bell-pepper},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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