Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Bell pepper vs. Paprika — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Jack  Yacoubian by Jack Yacoubian | Last updated on November 02, 2022
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel Article author photo Igor Bussel
Bell pepper
vs
Paprika

Summary

Paprika is a dried form of peppers. It is richer in zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, and B complex vitamins, E, A, and K. Whereas, bell peppers are richer in vitamin C and richer in fibers. Capsaicin in paprika has health benefits.

Introduction

In this article, we will be comparing the difference between a bell pepper and Paprika.

However, it is essential to know that paprika comes from bell pepper. Bell peppers are dried and ground turning them into Paprika.

This article needs to understand both these foods' nutritional and health impacts.

Nutritional content comparison

Since Paprika is derived from bell pepper, we can assume that whatever is present in 100g of bell pepper would be more concentrated in paprika. However, during this drying and processing, some nutritional aspects are lost.

The serving size of bell pepper is 119g, whereas, Paprika is 0.5g.

It is only reasonable to consider bell peppers at 100g and Paprika at 1 g to make the comparison reasonable.

Water content

94% of bell pepper has a much higher water distribution than paprika.

Carbs

Bell peppers contain higher amounts of carbs. 100g of bell peppers contain 4.64g of carbs. In comparison, 1g of paprika contains 0.54g of carbs.

Calories

They are both very low in calories. 100g of bell peppers contain 20 calories, and 1g of paprika contains less than one calorie.

Glycemic index

The glycemic index of paprika is 0. Bell pepper has a higher glycemic index.

Fiber

Bell pepper is richer in fibers; it contains 1.7g. In comparison, paprika contains 0.35g of fiber per 1g.

Protein and fat

The protein and fat content of both are negligible.

Minerals

In this section, we will consider equal amounts of each.

Paprika is richer in zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron.

The diagram below displays the distribution of minerals.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 7.1% 3% 15% 13% 22% 3.5% 8.6% 0.39% 16% 0%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 127% 69% 201% 793% 238% 118% 135% 8.9% 207% 34%
Contains less SodiumSodium -95.6%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +1680%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +2190%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +1202.9%
Contains more IronIron +6117.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +980.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +3230.8%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +1470%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +1203.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%

Vitamins

Similarly to the minerals, we will consider them equal to each in this section.

Paprika is richer in vitamin B complex, E, A, and K. Whereas; bell peppers are richer in vitamin C.

The diagram below displays the distribution of vitamins.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 268% 22% 7.4% 0% 14% 6.5% 9% 5.9% 52% 0% 19% 7.5% 3%
Paprika
10
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 3% 2955% 582% 0% 83% 284% 189% 151% 494% 0% 201% 37% 28%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +8833.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +13211.9%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +7764.9%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +478.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +4292.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +1995.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +2435.4%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +855.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +985.1%
Contains more FolateFolate +390%
Contains more CholineCholine +836.4%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Health impacts

In the section on health impacts, we will focus on the different health impacts provided by each food and not their general health impacts.

Positive health impacts of bell pepper

Bell pepper is rich in vitamin C, which has numerous health benefits such as antioxidative action, improving immune response to fight off infections, and reducing the severity of allergic reactions. (1)

Positive health impacts of paprika

Paprika contains capsaicin which is the spicy flavor in Paprika. Capsaicin has analgesic properties that are used in musculoskeletal pain therapies. Capsaicin is also used as a topical treatment for psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy. (2) (3)

In addition, Paprika is packed with B complex vitamins, vitamins E, A, and K.

Conditionally a lot of Paprika has to be consumed to have the health effects of these vitamins. Since the serving size of Paprika is low, these vitamins will not impact overall health to a remarkable extent.

Article author photo Jack  Yacoubian
Education: Haigazian Medical University
Last updated: November 02, 2022
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel

Infographic

Bell pepper vs Paprika infographic
Infographic link

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
5% 94%
Protein: 0.86 g
Fats: 0.17 g
Carbs: 4.64 g
Water: 93.89 g
Other: 0.44 g
14% 13% 54% 11% 8%
Protein: 14.14 g
Fats: 12.89 g
Carbs: 53.99 g
Water: 11.24 g
Other: 7.74 g
Contains more WaterWater +735.3%
Contains more ProteinProtein +1544.2%
Contains more FatsFats +7482.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +1063.6%
Contains more OtherOther +1659.1%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
45% 6% 48%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.058 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.008 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.062 g
18% 15% 67%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 2.14 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 1.695 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 7.766 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -97.3%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +21087.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +12425.8%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
5% 49% 47%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.11 g
Glucose: 1.16 g
Fructose: 1.12 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
8% 25% 65% 2%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.81 g
Glucose: 2.63 g
Fructose: 6.71 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0.19 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +636.4%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +126.7%
Contains more FructoseFructose +499.1%
Contains more GalactoseGalactose +∞%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~0g

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Bell pepper Paprika
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Bell pepper Paprika Opinion
Calories 20kcal 282kcal Paprika
Protein 0.86g 14.14g Paprika
Fats 0.17g 12.89g Paprika
Vitamin C 80.4mg 0.9mg Bell pepper
Net carbs 2.94g 19.09g Paprika
Carbs 4.64g 53.99g Paprika
Magnesium 10mg 178mg Paprika
Calcium 10mg 229mg Paprika
Potassium 175mg 2280mg Paprika
Iron 0.34mg 21.14mg Paprika
Sugar 2.4g 10.34g Bell pepper
Fiber 1.7g 34.9g Paprika
Copper 0.066mg 0.713mg Paprika
Zinc 0.13mg 4.33mg Paprika
Phosphorus 20mg 314mg Paprika
Sodium 3mg 68mg Bell pepper
Vitamin A 370IU 49254IU Paprika
Vitamin A 18µg 2463µg Paprika
Vitamin E 0.37mg 29.1mg Paprika
Manganese 0.122mg 1.59mg Paprika
Selenium 0µg 6.3µg Paprika
Vitamin B1 0.057mg 0.33mg Paprika
Vitamin B2 0.028mg 1.23mg Paprika
Vitamin B3 0.48mg 10.06mg Paprika
Vitamin B5 0.099mg 2.51mg Paprika
Vitamin B6 0.224mg 2.141mg Paprika
Vitamin K 7.4µg 80.3µg Paprika
Folate 10µg 49µg Paprika
Choline 5.5mg 51.5mg Paprika
Saturated Fat 0.058g 2.14g Bell pepper
Monounsaturated Fat 0.008g 1.695g Paprika
Polyunsaturated fat 0.062g 7.766g Paprika
Tryptophan 0.012mg 0.07mg Paprika
Threonine 0.036mg 0.49mg Paprika
Isoleucine 0.024mg 0.57mg Paprika
Leucine 0.036mg 0.92mg Paprika
Lysine 0.039mg 0.69mg Paprika
Methionine 0.007mg 0.2mg Paprika
Phenylalanine 0.092mg 0.61mg Paprika
Valine 0.036mg 0.75mg Paprika
Histidine 0.01mg 0.25mg Paprika
Fructose 1.12g 6.71g Paprika
Omega-3 - ALA 0.453g Paprika

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Bell pepper Paprika
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
32%
Bell pepper
385%
Paprika
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
9%
Bell pepper
193%
Paprika

Comparison summary

Which food is richer in minerals?
Paprika
Paprika is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Paprika
Paprika is lower in glycemic index (difference - 32)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Paprika
Paprika is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Bell pepper
Bell pepper is lower in Sugar (difference - 7.94g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Bell pepper
Bell pepper contains less Sodium (difference - 65mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Bell pepper
Bell pepper is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 2.082g)
Which food is cheaper?
Bell pepper
Bell pepper is cheaper (difference - $2.3)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Bell pepper - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170427/nutrients
  2. Paprika - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171329/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.