Powerhouse Plant: Bell Peppers

Did you know that red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are actually riper versions of green bell peppers? Yes, depending on the variety of plant, green peppers can eventually turn to these brighter hues.

According to ethnobotanist James Wong, “Although it *is* true that green peppers are just unripe regular ones, yellow, orange and red peppers are all genetically different varieties at full maturity. Their DNA predetermines the maximum amount of pigments they can produce, which creates this variation in colour.”

Each color is different in taste and holds different nutrients as well.

Red Bell Peppers

• Sweetest of them all, has a bit of a citrus burst

• Most nutrient-packed bell pepper as it’s gotten the most time to mature

• High in vitamins A and C

• Contain vitamin B6, a water soluble vitamin which play a role in nutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune function (1)

• Contains lycopene, a carotenoid known the help lower the risk of certain cancers (2)

• Red peppers have 11x the beta-carotene (give the pepper its color and is an antioxidant and gets converted to vitamin A) vs. green bell peppers (3)

• Contains 1.5 times the vitamin C vs. green bell peppers

• High in antioxidants

• Immune-boosting

• Good source of fiber

• Hydrating

Orange Bell Peppers

• Similar to yellow, however not as sweet as red or yellow, little less burst of citrus

• High in vitamins A and C

• Contain vitamin B6, a water soluble vitamin which play a role in nutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune function (4)

• High in antioxidants

• Immune-boosting

• High in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids and promote eye health (5)

• Good source of fiber

• Hydrating

Yellow Bell Peppers

• Not as sweet as red, little less burst of citrus, slight fruity taste

• High in vitamin C

• Contain vitamin A

• Contain vitamin B6, a water soluble vitamin which play a role in nutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune function (6)

• High in antioxidants

• Immune-boosting

• Good source of fiber

• Hydrating

Purple Bell Peppers - Yes, they exist!

• Sweeter in taste, like red, yellow, and orange varieties. Can have white coloring throughout depending on the growth cycle and weather

• High in vitamins A and C

• Contain anthocyanins (group of deep red/purple pigments in plants), which are known to reduce the risk for high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease (7)

• Contain vitamin B6, a water soluble vitamin which play a role in nutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune function (8)

• High in antioxidants

• Immune-boosting

• Good source of fiber

• Hydrating

Green Bell Peppers

• Grassier in taste, not sweet, slightly bitter to some

• Contain vitamins A and C

• Contain vitamin B6, a water soluble vitamin which play a role in nutrient metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune function (9)

• Contain more vitamin A and beta-carotene than yellow peppers.

• Good source of fiber

• Hydrating

This proves the importance of eating the rainbow. We must consume a diverse variety of plants to truly reap the health benefits of each one individually.

Why the price difference?

As someone who prefers the yellow, orange, and red varieties of bell peppers - I was always curious why green peppers were so much more affordable than their riper counterparts. A couple reasons for the price difference are that green bell peppers can be harvested more quickly. Their growth period isn't cut short due to insects or poor weather conditions. Also, when you harvest more frequently, the plant is able to produce more per season.

Where to find bell peppers at P.S. & Co.

• Rotating organic soups such as our current Southwest Black Bean Soup made with black beans, adzuki beans, red peppers, tomatoes, corn, celery, onions, and carrots.

• Organic Forbidden Bowl made with forbidden rice, chimichurri, rawcho cheese, roasted mushrooms, red bell pepper, sautéed lacinato kale.

• Organic Breakfast Tacos - made with tofu scramble, black beans, chimichurri, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and rawcho cheese with red bell peppers.

• Organic Mac & Cheese made with clean, whole, organic ingredients. A combination of our two sauces: organic rawcho sauce and an organic sweet potato puree which includes, you guessed it - red bell peppers!

• Organic Hand-Cut Nachos-made with hand-cut toasted brown rice tortillas, black beans, guacamole, and rawcho cheese made with red bell peppers.

__________________________________________________________________________________

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin B6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

2 Story EN, Kopec RE, Schwartz SJ, Harris GK. An update on the health effects of tomato lycopene. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2010;1:189-210. doi: 10.1146/annurev.food.102308.124120. PMID: 22129335; PMCID: PMC3850026.

3 Notes, M. P. (2015, September 16). Stuff you should know podcast: Chile peppers • podcast notes. Podcast Notes. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://podcastnotes.org/uncategorized/stuff-you-should-know-podcast-chile-peppers/

4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin B6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

5 Eisenhauer B, Natoli S, Liew G, Flood VM. Lutein and Zeaxanthin-Food Sources, Bioavailability and Dietary Variety in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Protection. Nutrients. 2017 Feb 9;9(2):120. doi: 10.3390/nu9020120. PMID: 28208784; PMCID: PMC5331551.

6 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin B6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

7 Coolicc. (2022, June 29). Got anthocyanins? add more purple to your plate! Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/anthocyanins/

8 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin B6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

9 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin B6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/