Next time you pick up a bell pepper, think carefully about what colour you want.
A tasty addition to many dishes, bell peppers are available in an array of colours. They can be found in green, yellow, orange, or red, and for many, the choice is primarily based on visual appeal.
For instance, if you’re incorporating pepper into a salad, a vibrant yellow or orange might be your go-to for adding a splash of colour, whereas a tomato-based pasta sauce might necessitate a red one to complement the other ingredients.
However, did you know that the colour of your bell pepper extends beyond mere aesthetics?
You may have noticed that different shades offer varying flavours, with green being considerably more bitter than red, but it appears that some colours are actually
than others.
This revelation was made in a viral TikTok video, where a woman asserted that if you’re aiming to enhance the health quotient of your meals by adding bell peppers, there’s only one colour you should be opting for.
The woman, who goes by the moniker The Salad Lady online, stated that red peppers are the most nutritious among all pepper varieties, particularly when compared to their green counterparts.
This is attributed to the fact that a red pepper is essentially a “fully ripened” green pepper so therefore it contains more vitamins due to its extended growth period.
She explained: “Of all the colours, red peppers are on the vine the longest. They’re basically fully ripe green peppers. For this reason, they’re naturally the sweetest and pack the most nutrition.”
“Compared to green peppers, the red ones have almost double the Vitamin C and 10 times more beta carotene. Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant that supports heart health, good vision, and healthy skin, hair, and nails. This is why I almost always use red peppers in salad making and in cooking.
“Since green peppers are harvested earlier before they have a chance to turn yellow, orange, and then red, they’re going to be the least sweet and the lowest in nutrients.”
The woman’s insights are corroborated by WebMD, which confirms these nutritional facts on its website.
The video’s comment section lit up with responses as numerous viewers expressed their astonishment at the revelations about the changing nutritional profile of peppers.
One individual commented: “I learned something new, thank you!”
While another appreciated the advice, saying: “Much needed information, thank you for being so informative.”
