Cayenne Pepper vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Cayenne Pepper and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cayenne pepper
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cayenne pepper and onion:
- Cayenne pepper has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, onion contains more pantothenic acid.
- Cayenne pepper has signficantly more Vitamin K than onion.
- Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Onion has 59% less sugar than cayenne pepper.
- Onion has 76.6 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cayenne Pepper (Spices, pepper, red or cayenne) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cayenne pepper is high in calories and onion has 87% less calories than cayenne pepper - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 318 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cayenne pepper is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to onion for protein. Cayenne pepper has a macronutrient ratio of 11:53:36 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cayenne Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 87% |
| Fat | 36% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and onion has 84% less carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 15 times more dietary fiber than onion - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 27.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion has 59% less sugar than cayenne pepper - onion has 4.2g 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 onion - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 12g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Onion has 76.6 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 3.3g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 932% more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg 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 more Vitamin A than onion - cayenne pepper has 2081ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin E and it has 1490 times more Vitamin E than onion - onion has 0.02mg 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 onion - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 80.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cayenne pepper has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, onion contains more pantothenic acid.
| Cayenne Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.328 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.919 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 8.701 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 2.45 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 106 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of calcium and it has 543% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.
iron
Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of iron and it has 36 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg 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 12 times more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg 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,
| Cayenne Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 21840 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 13157 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Cayenne Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.66 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.66 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Cayenne Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 7.71 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 7.71 G | 0.013 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: Cayenne Pepper (Spices, pepper, red or cayenne) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Cayenne Pepper g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does onion or cayenne pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?Cayenne pepper is high in calories and onion has 90% less calories than cayenne pepper - onion has 40 calories in 100g and cayenne pepper has 318 calories.
Does onion or cayenne pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and onion has 80% fewer carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or cayenne pepper contain more calcium?
Cayenne pepper is a rich source of calcium and it has 540% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.
Does onion or cayenne pepper contain more iron?
Cayenne pepper is an abundant source of iron and it has 36 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 7.8mg of iron.
Does onion or cayenne pepper contain more potassium?
Cayenne pepper is a rich source of potassium and it has 12 times more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 2014mg of potassium.