Question: Are Cayenne Peppers (or any pepper) good source of Vitamin C?

July 11, 2010
Are Cayenne Peppers (or any pepper) good source of Vitamin C?

Answers

Chris Paulk's picture

Cayenne pepper is high in vitamin A. It also contains vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium and manganese. More importantly it is a good source-( most peppers are)- for capsicum, which is beneficial for a number of ailments including; cancer, weight loss & arthritis.
Red Bell Peppers are a great source of vitamin C, containing more vitamin C than green bell peppers and almost 4 times as much as an orange bell pepper.

Euclydes Antonio dos Santos Filho's picture

Peppers of the genus Capsicum, including cayenne pepper and red bell peppers, contain around 1.0 mg of vitamin C per gram (yes, there are variations among species and cultivars). The question is that although you can easely eat 100 g of bell peppers, and thus ingest more vitamin C than you need in a day, I doubt you can do the same with a species that has a Scoville rate between 30,000-50,000, like Cayenne pepper.
In conclusion, although they do have vitamin C in reasonable concentrations, the nutrional value of peppers in what concerns this nutrient is not that high due to the usually low amounts ingested.