Can You Get Enough Vitamin A From Eating Red Peppers?
Carrots — and vitamin A — are known for their night vision superpowers. Even though you can't technically get magical powers from consuming vitamin A, Harvard School of Public Health shares that this vitamin is indeed responsible for eye health, skin health, managing white blood cell activity, and much more. But munching on a handful of carrots isn't the only way to get enough vitamin A.
One underrated veggie that's rich in vitamin A is red pepper, or red bell peppers. These peppers belong to the capsicum annuum family (you'll find jalapeños and other spicy peppers in this family too) and they're native to both South and Central America (via WebMD). Indulging in some red peppers will give you nearly half the amount of your daily requirements of vitamin A. When eaten raw, half a cup of red bell peppers contains 23 calories, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 47% of the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A. In addition, beta-carotene can be transformed into more vitamin A by your body, shares Mayo Clinic.
Harvard School of Public Health recommends that adults aged 19 and up consume 700 micrograms (for women) or 900 micrograms (for men) daily, but no more than 3,000 micrograms. Otherwise, vitamin A toxicity can occur, which Harvard School of Public Health shares that this could lead to diarrhea, dry skin, and vision change.
Health benefits of eating red peppers
Besides being rich in vitamin A, red peppers are also chock full of other vitamins and minerals. In fact, red peppers are known for their high vitamin C content. WebMD points out there's roughly 159% of your daily allowance of vitamin C in half a cup of raw red bell peppers.
Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It supports overall health by aiding in cell repair, boosting the immune system, cancer prevention, supporting collagen production, and even helping with the common cold (per National Institute of Health). Along with vitamin C, red bell peppers also contain vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin B6.
Not only do red peppers contain massive amounts of vitamins, but they also have high concentrations of carotenoids. Some give the pepper its rich reddish color while others have different beneficial health effects. Capsanthin, in particular, is responsible for the pepper's vibrant color, according to Healthline. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in bell peppers are associated with many eye health benefits (via Food Chemistry X). This is because those same carotenoids are found in the retina of the eye.
In addition to these, minerals and vitamins, these peppers consist of potassium and folate. And because they're loaded with nutritional content, red peppers are generally considered a healthy choice for any diet.