Peppers contain different nutrients and vitamins at each stage of ripeness.
Which varieties are the healthiest for the organism and provide the most vitamins.
Peppers come in a variety of colors, types, and flavors.
The most popular is probably the red pepper, as it tastes the sweetest and is often eaten as a raw food bite.
But is the red pepper also the healthiest for the body?
Each pepper has different nutrients that are healthy for the body.
The organism benefits from red, orange, yellow and green peppers in different ways.
Fun fact: Peppers are actually fruit vegetables
It is true that people speak of vegetables in relation to peppers.
Similar to tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes, however, peppers are botanically a fruit because the pod develops from a fertilized flower.
That is why they are called fruit vegetables.
Vegetables are all edible parts of a plant that are not fruit.
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Bell peppers belong to the nightshade family and are high in vitamins A, B and C and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and potassium.
Peppers are all healthy, whether raw, pepper-feta omelette or stuffed peppers from the grill.
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Peppers have different flavors and nutrients depending on their color.
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©David Chapman/Imago
The fruit vegetable, no matter what color, provides the body with important nutrients, strengthens the immune system, serves as a fat burner, can prevent diabetes, has few calories but a lot of fiber, which is good for digestion, and offers more vitamin C than a lemon.
In addition, paprika is said to have a blood pressure-lowering effect, improve circulatory disorders and even counteract cancer, arthrosis and rheumatism.
The degree of ripeness of the fruit vegetable determines the color of the peppers, because in the early ripening stage the pods are all green.
After that, it depends on the ripening time of the peppers whether they stay green, turn yellow or orange or even red.
In general, the redder the pepper, the more vitamins and nutrients it contains and the sweeter the fruit tastes.
Ergo: The red pods are the healthiest.
Red peppers: The ultimate vitamin C bomb
The red color of peppers comes from the carotenoids they contain, which also give carrots their orange color.
Carotenoids are the most common in the red pepper and help the body fight off free oxygen radicals that disrupt the metabolic process and promote cell changes.
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There is also more than enough vitamin C in red peppers.
According to the German Society for Nutrition eV,
there are a little more than 200 milligrams of vitamin C in 100 grams of fruit vegetables.
This means that the red pod is one of the foods richest in vitamin C and just half a pepper covers the daily requirement of an adult.
However, vitamin C is sensitive to heat, which is why the red bell pepper is best eaten raw or only slightly warmed.
Green peppers: Especially healthy with iron deficiency
Contrary to popular belief, green peppers are not bred to be extra green.
Every pepper, no matter what variety it is, is green when it first ripens.
You can take them off the shoot and eat them, but you have to be prepared for a slightly tart, bitter and not yet so pronouncedly sweet taste.
The reason for the green color at the beginning of ripening is the high content of chlorophyll in fruit vegetables.
Vitamin C is also found in the green pods, although not as much as in the red or yellow peppers.
There are only about 140 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit vegetables.
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On the other hand, green fruit vegetables are particularly healthy for iron deficiency.
While the peppers don't offer the most iron, with an iron content of 0.6 mg, they are a convenient food because they also contain vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron.
However, red peppers are just as effective and healthy for iron deficiency.
Orange and Yellow Peppers: The Middle Ground
Peppers that are no longer green but are not yet red are usually yellowish or orange in color.
At this stage of ripeness, it is not yet quite as sweet, but it no longer tastes as tart as the green one and can easily be eaten as a tasty raw vegetable.
Vitamins and minerals as well as carotenoids are also contained here - more than in the green, but not as many as in the red pepper.
Whether you decide on green, yellow, orange or red peppers - with a little trick, pitting is very easy.
Rubric list image: © David Chapman/Imago