Cayenne Pepper vs. Red Bell Pepper

Nutrition comparison of Cayenne Pepper and Red Bell Pepper

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cayenne pepper versus red bell pepper (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cayenne pepper and red bell pepper:

  • Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Cayenne pepper has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, red bell pepper contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Cayenne pepper has signficantly more Vitamin K than red bell pepper.
  • Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin E, calcium, iron and protein.
  • Red bell pepper has 54.2 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper.
  • Red bell pepper has 59% less sugar than cayenne pepper.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cayenne pepper and red bell pepper is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cayenne Pepper (Spices, pepper, red or cayenne) and Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Cayenne Pepper src
Image of Red Bell Pepper src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cayenne pepper is high in calories and red bell pepper has 92% less calories than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 26 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 red bell pepper for protein. Cayenne pepper has a macronutrient ratio of 11:53:36 and for red bell pepper, 13:79:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cayenne Pepper Red Bell Pepper
Protein 11% 13%
Carbohydrates 53% 79%
Fat 36% 8%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and red bell pepper has 89% less carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in dietary fiber. Cayenne pepper has 11 times more dietary fiber than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 27.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Red bell pepper has 59% less sugar than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper 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 11 times more protein than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 12g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Red bell pepper has 54.2 times less saturated fat than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 3.3g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in Vitamin C. Red bell pepper has 67% more Vitamin C than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 127.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 76.4mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in Vitamin A. Cayenne pepper has 12 times more Vitamin A than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 157ug 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 17 times more Vitamin E than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 1.6mg 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 red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 4.9ug 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, red bell pepper contains more pantothenic acid.

Cayenne Pepper Red Bell Pepper
Thiamin 0.328 MG 0.054 MG
Riboflavin 0.919 MG 0.085 MG
Niacin 8.701 MG 0.979 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.317 MG
Vitamin B6 2.45 MG 0.291 MG
Folate 106 UG 46 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of calcium and it has 20 times more calcium than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.

iron

Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of iron and it has 17 times more iron than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron per 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 7.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in potassium. Cayenne pepper has 855% more potassium than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 211mg 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 Red Bell Pepper
beta-carotene 21840 UG 1624 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 13157 UG 51 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 20 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than red bell pepper per 100 grams.

Cayenne Pepper Red Bell Pepper
alpha linoleic acid 0.66 G 0.056 G
Total 0.66 G 0.056 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cayenne pepper has more linoleic acid than red bell pepper per 100 grams.

Cayenne Pepper Red Bell Pepper
linoleic acid 7.71 G 0.1 G
Total 7.71 G 0.1 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 Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) .

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FAQ

Does red bell pepper or cayenne pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cayenne pepper is high in calories and red bell pepper has 90% less calories than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 26 calories in 100g and cayenne pepper has 318 calories.

Does red bell pepper or cayenne pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cayenne pepper is high in carbohydrates and red bell pepper has 90% fewer carbohydrates than cayenne pepper - red bell pepper has 6g of carbs for 100g and cayenne pepper has 56.6g of carbohydrates.

Does red bell pepper or cayenne pepper contain more calcium?
Cayenne pepper is a rich source of calcium and it has 20 times more calcium than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 148mg of calcium.

Does red bell pepper or cayenne pepper contain more iron?
Cayenne pepper is an abundant source of iron and it has 17 times more iron than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 7.8mg of iron.

Does red bell pepper or cayenne pepper contain more potassium?
Both red bell pepper and cayenne pepper are high in potassium. Cayenne pepper has 860% more potassium than red bell pepper - red bell pepper has 211mg of potassium in 100 grams and cayenne pepper has 2014mg of potassium.