Red pepper - useful properties

This spicy or hot guest from tropical America today is known all over the world.

Vegetable pepper, namely so-called and sweet and sharp varieties, is now grown on all continents. He found his niche in the national cuisines of different peoples of Asia, India, Southern and Eastern Europe, because pepper is perfectly combined with all kinds of meat, vegetables and greens. Consider the beneficial properties of red pepper.

Red sweet pepper - useful properties

Contrary to the name, ripe pods of red sweet pepper are red and yellow, and bright orange and even purple. Their color is explained by the presence of various pigments:

• red - lycopene, the most powerful natural antioxidant from the carotenoid group, unlike beta-carotene does not turn into vitamin A, but protects the body cells from free radicals, preventing the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, malignant neoplasms;
• yellow beta-carotene, or provitamin A, has less antioxidant activity than lycopene, but is an indispensable participant in the metabolism, especially useful for children and adolescents;
• orange - a combination of beta-carotene and lycopene;
• violet - due to a large number of substances such as anthocyanins, they have antimicrobial activity, strengthen blood vessels, improve vision, protect the body from free radicals;
• green - chlorophyll, this color is usually unripened fruits of vegetable pepper.

Also, all kinds of pepper contain a large amount of vitamin C (150-300 mg), a whole complex of B vitamins (B1, B3, B2, B6, B5, B9) and minerals such as magnesium, iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorus , iron and sodium. Such a rich vitamin-mineral composition allows you to recommend sweet pepper for depression , memory impairment, general decline in strength, swelling, dermatitis, diabetes (vitamins B1, B2, B6 and PP). And also with anemia, osteoporosis and falling immunity.

Red hot pepper - useful properties

The burning taste of this kind of pepper provides capsaicin, a substance with high biological activity, contained in the pods. He defines many useful properties of hot red pepper:

Capsaicin - is able to block pain and relieve inflammation, so capsaicin, obtained from hot pepper, is used in various warming and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams.

Thanks to the same capsaicin, the use of hot pepper prevents the formation of blood clots in the vessels, speeds up metabolic processes in the body, normalizes digestion.

According to the vitamin-mineral composition, red hot pepper copies its sweet fellow. It contains a lot of vitamin C , vitamin A, B vitamins and also contains the same macro- and trace elements as in sweet red pepper.