Introduction: Bell pepper belongs to the Plant Kingdom, Dicotyledoneae, Asteridae, and Solanaceae family. The fruit is a berry. It has many aliases, such as large pepper, lantern pepper, and tomato pepper. Because it can produce sweet berries, it is also called sweet pepper or capsicum.
It is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, characterized by its large fruit and mild or even non-existent spiciness. It is used as a vegetable rather than a seasoning. Due to its vibrant green color and newly cultivated varieties in red, yellow, purple, and other colors, it can not only be a dish on its own but is also widely used as a side dish.
Bell peppers evolved from chili peppers native to the tropical regions of Central and South America in North America. Through long-term cultivation, domestication, and artificial selection, characteristics such as increased fruit size, thicker flesh, loss of spiciness, and an increased number of carpels and locules were developed. It was introduced to China over 100 years ago and is now widely cultivated throughout the country.
Benefits of Bell Peppers
1. Antipyretic and Analgesic: Bell peppers are pungent and warm. They can lower body temperature through sweating and relieve muscle pain, thus having a strong antipyretic and analgesic effect.
2. Cancer Prevention: The active ingredient in bell peppers, capsaicin, is an antioxidant. It can block the metabolism of related cells, thereby terminating the carcinogenesis process of cell tissue and reducing the incidence of cancer cells.
3. Appetite Stimulant and Digestive Aid: The strong pungent flavor of bell peppers can stimulate the secretion of saliva and gastric juice, increase appetite, promote intestinal peristalsis, and aid digestion.
4. Lowering Lipids and Weight Loss: Capsaicin in bell peppers can promote the metabolism of fat, prevent fat accumulation in the body, and is beneficial for lowering lipids, losing weight, and preventing diseases.
5. Prevention and Treatment of Scurvy: It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin K, which can prevent and treat scurvy, and has a supplementary therapeutic effect on bleeding gums, anemia, and fragile blood vessels.
6. Dispelling Cold and Dampness: Most people feel that after eating spicy bell peppers, their heart rate quickens and skin blood vessels dilate. Therefore, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, its view is the same as that of chili peppers, with the effects of warming the middle, lowering qi, dispelling cold, and eliminating dampness.
Contraindications for Consuming Bell Peppers
1. Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C. When cooking, pay attention to controlling the heat. Use the method of high-heat stir-frying, and do not heat for too long to avoid excessive loss of vitamin C.
2. Patients with eye diseases, esophagitis, gastroenteritis, gastric ulcers, and hemorrhoids should eat less or avoid them. At the same time, people with heat-related illnesses, yin deficiency with flourishing fire, high blood pressure, or tuberculosis should consume with caution.
3. Patients with nephritis should not eat bell peppers.