Can You Eat Too Many Bell Peppers?

When it comes to nutrition and flavor, bell peppers are in a class all their own. One red bell pepper provides all the vitamin C you'll need for a day, but they're not the only type of bell pepper that's good for you. All bell peppers contain vitamin C — just not as much as the red ones — and they also contain vitamins A, B6, B9, E, and K1, per Healthline. To top that off, peppers are low in calories, which makes them a great addition to many dishes. 

Because bell peppers have plenty of benefits, you might find yourself eating a lot of them. Generally speaking, this isn't much of a problem, but if you fill up on more than one a day, you might not be leaving enough room in your diet for other nutritious foods. As a result, you might end up a little malnourished, per Real Simple.

Bell peppers might cause digestive problems

Some people experience stomach issues from eating bell peppers. This could be from over-indulging in the vegetable, but it's more likely the result of a food allergy. According to the Mayo Clinic, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting can all be signs of food allergy. If you're allergic to bell peppers, you might also experience itchy skin, a rash, shortness of breath, or a tingling sensation in you mouth after consuming one. When a food allergy is the culprit, you'll begin to experience symptoms within minutes to an hour after eating the problematic food. Oddly enough, if you're allergic to mugwort, you might be allergic to bell peppers, too, because these foods contain the same type of pollen (per Livestrong).

A prick test can determine if you have an allergy to bell peppers. The type of reaction you have generally determines what kind of treatment you might need. Antihistamines work well for minor reactions, but reactions that involve dizziness, vomiting, or shortness of breath should be treated with injectable epinephrine (via Livestrong).