F you want to add some zing to your next meal or snack, pick up some

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f you want to add some zing to your 
next meal or snack, pick up some
peppers from the supermarket or 
farmers market. Fall is when they’re at 
their peak, which means they’re full of 
sweet, sharp, or fiery flavor.
Peppers are also low in calories but 
packed with nutrients, says Dana Hunnes, 
RD, PhD, a senior dietitian at the Ronald 
Reagan UCLA Medical Center. They sup-
ply heart-healthy potassium and fiber, 
plus vitamins A and C to support the im-
mune system. Yellow, orange, and red 
peppers deliver carotenoids, plant pig-
ments that may protect against certain 
eye diseases and cancers.
TURN UP THE HEAT 
Hot peppers may offer an extra health 
kick. They get their heat from capsaicin, 
a compound that may combat inflamma-
tion and promote blood flow. According 
to a 2019 study published in the Journal 
of the American College of Cardiology, 
people who ate hot peppers more than 
four times a week were about a third less 
likely to die of cardiovascular disease 
than those who rarely or never ate them. 
Do They Cause Digestive Woes?
Eating spicy peppers won’t damage your digestive system. 
In fact, research shows that the capsaicin in them may 
actually reduce stomach acids and prevent ulcers. 
But for some people, hot peppers can irritate the lining
of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to temporary 
discomfort, such as heartburn or diarrhea, says Dana 
Hunnes, a dietitian. If you’re prone to heartburn but 
want to try spicing up your diet, start slowly, and keep 
track of whether hot peppers trigger symptoms. 
add raw or sautéed bell or other sweet pep-
pers, such as banana peppers, to salads, 
stir-fries, and sandwiches. Or make roasted 
pepper pesto: Place eight peppers on a bak-
ing sheet and roast at 350°F for an hour, 
or until soft. Remove the skin, and purée 
peppers with olive oil, four cloves of garlic, 
two-thirds cup of almonds, and a pinch of 
salt and pepper. 
Hot peppers. 
If you like mild spice, opt 
for shishito (50 to 200 Scoville heat units), 
Anaheim (500 to 2,500), or poblano pep-
pers (1,000 to 2,000). Jalapeño (2,500 to 
8,000) and serrano peppers (10,000 to 
25,000) add more sizzle. For extra fire, 
choose Thai (50,000 to 100,000) or ha-
banero (more than 100,000). 
Wear plastic or rubber gloves when 
you’re handling hot peppers, Hunnes 
advises. Then wash your hands and any 
utensils afterward. Getting capsaicin on 
your hands and then touching other parts 
your body can lead to pain and irritation. 
If you eat something that’s too hot, grab a 
glass of milk or other dairy product. That 
will cool the burn, possibly because a pro-
tein in dairy binds to capsaicin. 
An easy way to work peppers into a 
meal is to toss them in oil and then broil or 
grill them for 10 to 20 minutes. Turn them 
often as the skin blisters and the flesh soft-
ens. Wipe off the charred pieces or peel 
the skin. Serve on top of fish or poultry, or 
blend into a salsa or sauce. Or stuff halved, 
seeded peppers with vegetables or tuna 
and cheese, then bake.
Whether sweet or
hot, they pack a nutrition 
and flavor punch
They may also play a small 
role in weight loss. Research has 
linked capsaicin with a lower body 
weight and less belly fat. “It increases 
your metabolism and calorie burn, but 
the effect doesn’t last long,” Hunnes says. 
“You’re not going to drop 10 pounds by 
eating peppers alone.” 
But hot peppers may change the way 
you eat, and that may give you a weight-
loss advantage. It’s tough to scarf down 
spicy food, so you may wind up consum-
ing less, Hunnes says. Plus, that burning 
sensation can suppress appetite. Sci-
entists at Purdue University found that 
people felt less hungry for the rest of the 
day when they sprinkled cayenne pepper 
on their meals than when they didn’t.
PICK YOUR PEPPER 
Each pepper has its own unique flavor 
and heat. The latter is measured on the 
Scoville heat scale, ranging from 0 units 
for a sweet bell pepper up to 300,000 for 
a mouth-scorching habanero. 
Sweet peppers. 
Yellow, orange, and red
bell peppers are harvested later than 
green, so they’re often sweeter. You can 
Good Reasons 
to Pick Peppers