August peppers pack 17 times more vitamin C than apples

Is it true that spicier peppers are better for you? A look at the nutritional content of different pepper varieties suggests there is some scientific basis for the claim. Vitamins C and A — the key nutrients in peppers — are more abundant in spicy red chili peppers than in green ones.

According to the Rural Development Administration, peppers are classified as green or red based on their stage of growth. Green peppers are those that have not yet fully ripened. Domestic green pepper varieties are further divided by fruit characteristics into standard green peppers, cucumber peppers, wrinkled peppers and cheongyang peppers, among others. A red chili pepper is simply a green pepper left on the plant to ripen fully.

Among all nutrients, peppers stand out most for their vitamin C content — so much so that they are often called a "treasure trove" of the vitamin, even among vegetables. Red chili peppers contain the most of any variety. A comparison of nutritional data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety covering five popular varieties — red chili, standard green, wrinkled, cucumber and cheongyang peppers — found that red chili peppers led the group with an average of 122 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams. The Nokgwang-type red chili, a leading domestically grown cultivar, reached as high as 170 milligrams.

Among green pepper varieties, cucumber peppers had the highest vitamin C content at 78 milligrams per 100 grams, followed by wrinkled peppers at 56 milligrams, cheongyang peppers at 51 milligrams and standard green peppers at 43 milligrams.

Cucumber peppers contain less vitamin C than red chili peppers, but the picture changes when serving size is taken into account. Red chili peppers are typically sliced thin and used as a seasoning or garnish. Cucumber peppers, by contrast, are mild and crisp, making them easy to eat in larger amounts. Because they are often used as a main ingredient — as in cucumber pepper doenjang salad — the total vitamin C consumed in a single serving can be considerably higher.

Despite being a vegetable, cucumber peppers' vitamin C content of 78 milligrams per 100 grams rivals or exceeds that of many popular fruits — surpassing tangerines (25 milligrams), pears (2 milligrams) and grapes (4 milligrams).

Cucumber peppers contain about 17 times more vitamin C than apples. Apples, with their sweet-tart flavor, might seem like a rich source of the vitamin, but their actual content is no more than 2 milligrams per 100 grams. Apples do offer other nutrients, however, including dietary fiber and the antioxidant polyphenols.

Beta-carotene — which the body converts into vitamin A and supports eye health — is also highest in red chili peppers at 3,537 micrograms per 100 grams, roughly seven times the level in standard green peppers (458 micrograms). Wrinkled peppers (474 micrograms), cheongyang peppers (456 micrograms) and cucumber peppers (394 micrograms) are all comparable to standard green peppers. Beta-carotene is the natural pigment responsible for the yellow, orange and red hues that develop as peppers ripen, and it accumulates as the fruit turns red. Capsaicin levels also rise during the ripening process.

For those who find capsaicin's heat too intense, removing the placenta — the white inner flesh to which the seeds are attached — can help significantly. That is where capsaicin-producing receptors are concentrated, and Rural Development Administration analyses have found capsaicin levels in the placenta to be tens to more than a hundred times higher than in the pepper flesh itself. Cutting a pepper in half and scraping out the placenta and seeds can reduce the heat by up to 80 percent.