Lemon vs. Cayenne Pepper
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Cayenne Pepper
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
cayenne pepper
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and cayenne pepper:
- Both lemon and cayenne pepper are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Cayenne pepper has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, lemon contains more pantothenic acid.
- Cayenne pepper has signficantly more Vitamin K than lemon.
- Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
- Lemon has 3.1 times less sugar than cayenne pepper.
- Lemon has 82.5 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Cayenne Pepper (Spices, pepper, red or cayenne) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cayenne pepper is high in calories and lemon has 91% less calories than cayenne pepper - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 318 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to cayenne pepper for protein. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for cayenne pepper, 11:53:36 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Cayenne Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 53% |
| Fat | 6% | 36% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and lemon has 84% less carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon and cayenne pepper are high in dietary fiber. Cayenne pepper has 871% more dietary fiber than lemon - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 27.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon has 3.1 times less sugar than cayenne pepper - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 10.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of protein and it has 992% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 12g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lemon has 82.5 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 3.3g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and cayenne pepper are high in Vitamin C. Cayenne pepper has 44% more Vitamin C than lemon - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 76.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 2080 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 2081ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin E and it has 197 times more Vitamin E than lemon - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 29.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cayenne pepper has signficantly more Vitamin K than lemon - cayenne pepper has 80.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Cayenne pepper has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, lemon contains more pantothenic acid.
| Lemon | Cayenne Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.328 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.919 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 8.701 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 2.45 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 106 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of calcium and it has 469% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.
iron
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of iron and it has 12 times more iron than lemon - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 7.8mg of iron.
potassium
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of potassium and it has 13 times more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 2014mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Lemon | Cayenne Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 21840 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 13157 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Cayenne Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.66 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.66 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more linoleic acid than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Cayenne Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 7.71 G |
| Total | 0.063 G | 7.71 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Cayenne Pepper (Spices, pepper, red or cayenne) .
Lemon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cayenne Pepper g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does lemon or cayenne pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?Cayenne pepper is high in calories and lemon has 90% less calories than cayenne pepper - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and cayenne pepper has 318 calories.
Does lemon or cayenne pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and lemon has 80% fewer carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon or cayenne pepper contain more calcium?
Cayenne pepper is a rich source of calcium and it has 470% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.
Does lemon or cayenne pepper contain more iron?
Cayenne pepper is an abundant source of iron and it has 12 times more iron than lemon - lemon has 0.6mg of iron in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 7.8mg of iron.
Does lemon or cayenne pepper contain more potassium?
Cayenne pepper is a rich source of potassium and it has 13 times more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 2014mg of potassium.