Are Bell Peppers Keto? And the many other benefits

One bell pepper (45 grams) contains approximately 3.6 gram net carbs.

Eat bell peppers on a ketogenic diet to provide extra variety and flavor to your meals. A serving of bell peppers as a side dish on a ketogenic diet is perfectly fine.

Bell peppers are in the nightshade family of plants and for people with autoimmune type problems such as rheumatoid arthritis should probably avoid this vegetable.

The calories from bell peppers come mostly from carbohydrates in the form of sugar and has a similar macro nutrient composition to tomatoes. On a keto diet with the goal of weight loss, it is best to try to minimize the intake of any sugar to maximize fat utilization. Eat bell peppers as a on the side with a good source of protein like beef or chicken to enhance the flavors of your meal.

There are no known benefits for athletic performance by eating bell peppers. On the contrary, it may be counter productive. During exercise, your muscles will produce free radicals which can be neutralized with antioxidants such as Vitamin C. However, these free radicals produced by exercise are beneficial and vital to signaling your body to increase muscle mass and grow. Studies have shown that post exercise supplementation of vitamins slow improvements in strength post workout.

Bell peppers are one of the best sources of Vitamin C. A single bell pepper (approximately 45g) contains 180% of RDA intake values of Vitamin C. Eating 1 bell pepper will provide almost 2 days worth of your Vitamin C needs. With the minimal amount of sugar contained in bell peppers, this makes it easier to maximize the intake of Vitamin C.