~ Green Bell Peppers or Red Bell Peppers ~

In answer to the question "Is there any nutritional difference between green and red bell peppers?" Karen Collins, MS,RD,CDN - and contributing writer to the AICR offered this information:

"Green bell peppers (or sweet peppers) are simply the less mature form of red peppers. While the two varieties have identical calorie contents, the extra maturation time allows red peppers to accumulate higher levels of some nutrients.

For example, both types of pepper are excellent sources of vitamin C, but red varieties contain more than twice as much as green – more than a whole day’s supply in just half a cup.

Similarly, green peppers supply some beta-carotene, but red peppers supply almost eight times as much. Red peppers also supply seven times as much beta-cryptoxanthin, another carotenoid, as well as some lycopene, which research suggests may be linked with lower risk of prostate cancer. On the other hand, green peppers are a much better source of the carotenoid lutein, which may play a role in maintaining healthy vision."