What is useful green pepper?

Green Bulgarian pepper (unripe sweet pepper) is the fruit of an annual herbaceous plant of the family Solanaceae. It is widely distributed and cultivated in Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. Today is a popular vegetable, which almost everyone knows about. In this article we will talk about the nutritional value and caloric content of green pepper, as well as its benefits and harm to the body.

Nutritional value and calorie

There are three types of so-called Bulgarian pepper: red, yellow and green. Green pepper is harvested before it has time to turn yellow, orange or red. Some varieties are grown specifically for this purpose, because in the green they do not have bitterness and are suitable for use. A popular variety of such a green vegetable is Atlantic. Green sweet pepper is considered the least high-calorie product (only 20 kcal per 100 g), while red is more nutritious: 100 g of this product contains 37 kcal. It does not contain fat, so it is considered a dietary product.However, due to the presence of a certain amount of carbohydrates (6.9 g per 100 g of product), a green vegetable is nutritious and is well suited for a quick and easy snack. Protein is only 1.3 g per 100 g of product.

Chemical composition

The fruits of green pepper are very juicy, fragrant and tasty, and in addition they contain a lot of useful vitamins and minerals. They are rich in antioxidants A, C and E, in addition, it also contains a huge number of vitamin compounds, including: all B vitamins, vitamin K, PP, H, betaine, etc. Depending on the type of green sweet pepper It can contain about 30 types of vitamins.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) needs the body of each person. A sweet pepper contains a large amount of this vitamin, moreover, it is a champion among vegetables in ascorbic acid content. Vitamin C was first isolated from green bell pepper.An average person needs only two average ripe fruits to cover the daily norm of ascorbic acid. Green pepper contains about 300 mg of ascorbic acid. This dose may vary depending on the growing conditions of the fruit. If the pepper is grown under hot sunshine, there will be more vitamin C in it than in those fruits that were in the shade most of their growing season.

Bulgarian pepper is also rich in various macro-and micronutrients. A large amount of copper, magnesium, calcium, zinc, fluorine, sodium, phosphorus, etc. was found in its fruits. Each of these elements has a positive effect on the human body. Zinc and iron are indispensable trace elements for children and pregnant women.

Calcium and phosphorus give strength to bones and teeth, and the second substance is also indispensable for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Potassium and magnesium support the work of the heart, improve the functioning of the circulatory system, stabilize the blood pressure level, and prevent the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Sweet green pepper also contains essential (lysine, valine, arginine, threonine, tryptophan) and interchangeable (alanine, serine, tyrosine, glycine, cysteine) amino acids. Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids should be ingested in every person. These compounds rejuvenate and give strength to the body, and they are all contained in sweet green pepper. Among them: omega-3, omega-6, oleic, palmitic, stearic and other acids.

What is the use?

Due to the low caloric content of Bulgarian green pepper and the presence in its composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which speed up metabolism, this product represents many of the most popular dietary techniques. In addition, it is able to normalize the work of the digestive tract during a diet.

The fruits of this vegetable have cleansing, antioxidant, firming and soothing properties. They are especially useful in the winter,when due to lack of vitamins the body's defenses are running out. Sweet green pepper will benefit children, pregnant women, the elderly and sick people. The product is especially useful during pregnancy, when the future mother's body needs a constant supply of iron, folic and ascorbic acids. Green pepper is very useful for hair. Due to the presence in its composition of vitamins A and B9, the hair becomes docile and silky. Vitamin B9 is able to strengthen the follicles and improve blood flow to them. Vitamin A prevents hair breakage and prevents dandruff.

It is noteworthy that the more men consume green peppers, the less likely they are to “earn” alopecia.

Sweet pepper can reduce the level of unpleasant sensitivity of the teeth, prevent the appearance of caries and strengthen the gums. Every day, various carcinogens that periodically cause oncological diseases enter the body along with harmful food. Due to the fact that the vegetable contains chlorogenic and lycopic acids, almost all carcinogens are constantly removed from the body.Thus, sweet Bulgarian pepper is able to protect the body from the appearance of various types of tumors.

Sweet Bulgarian pepper will be a godsend for those who pursue eternal youth. Due to the presence in the composition of antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids, this product helps to eliminate the oxygen starvation of cells and the normalization of all metabolic processes in the body. Moreover, it protects the body from various harmful effects, as it strengthens the immune system. Potassium and magnesium contribute to the normal functioning of the heart. These macronutrients with their regular entry into the body are able to prevent coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension. Omega-3, which is present in small quantities in vegetables, cleanses the blood vessels and establishes normal blood circulation processes.

Sweet Bulgarian pepper is useful for diabetes, as it can reduce the level of glucose in the blood. But in this case, it must be used in food only fresh. It also improves intestinal peristalsis, helps in the fight against flatulence and dysbiosis.

Green sweet pepper has another significant advantage - it contains phytosterols: substances that are able to remove "harmful" cholesterol from the body. Phytosterols are very similar to cholesterol, but unlike the latter, they are a product of plant origin. It is believed that phytosterols help protect the body from the appearance of cancer in the intestine and prostate. Bulgarian pepper contains rare vitamin K (phylloquinone), which is responsible for blood clotting processes. In addition, without vitamin K, vitamin D and calcium cannot be absorbed normally. Phylloquinone protects the body from the manifestation of atherosclerosis and ensures normal energy exchange at the cellular level.

Harm and contraindications

Having eaten a lot of Bulgarian green pepper, you can get such side effects as vomiting, colic, allergic reactions, diarrhea, etc. In this case, you should refrain from eating 5-6 hours from eating and use only clean water. It should be noted that sweet pepper should not be eaten on an empty stomach in its pure form, as it can cause irritation of the stomach.

It is forbidden to eat this product in any kind to people suffering from gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. In this case, pepper can cause irritation of the stomach and severe pain, even to the opening of internal bleeding. When hypotension (low blood pressure), sweet pepper should be used with extreme caution, and in some cases it is generally better to refuse. The fact is that the vegetable is able to lower the level of blood pressure, and in case of hypotension it is fraught with dizziness, vomiting, migraine.

When gout, Bulgarian green pepper is better not to eat either raw or boiled. In the initial stages of the disease, once a week you can eat 1-2 boiled peppers with a minimum amount of seasoning and salt. With increased acidity in the cavity of the stomach (gastritis), sweet pepper is better to refuse. And all because it contributes to the development in the stomach of hydrochloric acid and gastric juice, which with gastritis can cause an ulcer.

Want to find harmony in healthy and tasty? Eat a green bell pepper, and you not only enjoy its pleasant taste and aroma, but also bring to your body a large set of useful and essential vitamins and minerals.