Bulgarian pepper - fragrant, juicy, tasty and very useful vegetable, which is grown everywhere, both in private gardens, and on large land areas. In addition, the vegetable has excellent taste, it is a source of many vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the human body. What are the unique properties of Bulgarian pepper, let's see.
Calorie and chemical composition
Bulgarian pepper owes its numerous medicinal properties primarily to its rich chemical composition, which is represented by:
Vitamins:
- WITH - protects the body from free radicals, acts as the strongest antioxidant, cleanses, removes harmful substances, promotes the production of collagen, enhances protective functions, strengthens the immune system;
- A (retinol) - improves visual function, normalizes the cardiovascular system, strengthens the immune system, prevents the development of cancer;
- E (tocopherol) - rejuvenates the body, accelerates cell regeneration, supports the normal operation of all systems;
- group B - normalize the work of the nervous system, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, prevent the development of heart attacks and strokes, take part in protein synthesis, contribute to energy production;
- TO - participates in the production of protein, is responsible for the normal functioning of the kidneys, normalizes blood sugar levels, maintains the elasticity of the skin;
- R - prevents premature aging, protects vessels from brittleness, strengthens the walls of capillaries, makes them more elastic.
Minerals:- iron - prevents the development of anemia, enriches the blood, participates in the formation of red blood cells, fights fatigue;
- calcium - strengthens bone and muscle tissue, is responsible for the proper formation of the skeleton, normalizes the work of the pancreas and gonad;
- potassium - positively affects the state of the neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems, ensures the normal functioning of the kidneys, activates the production of enzymes;
- magnesium - relieves nervous tension, improves the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes blood pressure, boosts immunity, and has a beneficial effect on immunological processes;
- phosphorus - improves brain activity, takes part in metabolic processes, allows to digest many minerals;
- zinc - normalizes the reproductive system, affects the blood circulation process, keeps hormones at the proper level, protects the liver from harmful factors.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the nuances of growing such varieties of pepper as "Ratunda", "California miracle", "Gemini", "Antey", "Belozerka", "Anastasia", "Soloist", "Golden miracle", "Swallow", "Oxen ear "," Swallow "," Orange miracle. "
Bulgarian pepper is a low-calorie product, its nutritional value per 100 g:
- proteins - 1.3 g;
- fats - 0.34 g;
- carbohydrates - 5.3 g;
- fiber - 1.9 g;
- ash - 0.58 g;
- water - 91.5 g
Did you know? Homeland of the Bulgarian pepper is not Bulgaria, as it is thought, but America. For the first time a vegetable was noticed in the 15th century in the territory of Central America, however at that time it was considered a wild-growing false berry. As a significant agricultural crop, it was recognized only in the nineteenth century.
Varieties
Bulgarian pepper is one of the most beloved and demanded vegetables all over the world. There are three varieties of it: red, green and yellow. However, they differ not only in color and taste, but also in chemical composition.
Green
Green pepper or Atlantic is an immature red or yellow vegetable. Of all the varieties is considered the least "rich" in minerals and vitamins, but has its own characteristics. It contains unique substances that have anti-cancer properties, can significantly reduce the risk of cancer.
Check out the useful properties of green and red pepper.
In addition, in the green form there is more than in others, vitamin K, which is responsible for blood clotting, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, helps to fill the body with energy. "Atlantic" low-calorie. Per 100 g of raw product accounts for only 20 kcal. Due to this, it is present in the diet of people who want to lose weight. 
Red
Pepper turns red due to the presence of a large amount of lycopene, which has a strong cleansing, antioxidant effect. One of the most important elements of red paprika is zinc, which normalizes the work of the heart, nervous system, activates the activity of the reproductive system.
In vegetable more than many times in other varieties, beta-carotene, which protects the tissues of the body from the effects of radicals, helps prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, supports the healthy functioning of the prostate gland. 
Yellow
Yellow pepper ("Indalo") owes its color to a large number of carotenoids in its composition. He is the leader in the number of different beneficial micro and macro elements. It contains more potassium, phosphorus and even vitamin C more than other varieties. Indalo surpasses its counterparts in the presence of rutin (vitamin P), which is responsible for the normal functioning of the circulatory system and vascular strengthening.
We advise you to learn more about the beneficial properties of vegetables like tomatoes, beets, zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants, onions (onions, red, shallot, chives, batun), carrots (white, yellow, purple), zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage (cauliflower , white, red, Savoy, Peking, Brussels, kohlrabi, broccoli, kale, pak choi).
Why is Bulgarian pepper useful?
Sweet pepper, due to the richest chemical composition and high content of beneficial micro and macro elements, has a therapeutic effect on all systems of the human body. It has protective, antioxidant, cleansing, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory properties, used to treat many diseases.
For women
The sweet paprika helps to keep the young, flowering look to the fair sex. Due to the high content of ascorbic acid, vitamins A and E, it has a rejuvenating effect, improves the condition of the skin and hair, and fights against premature aging.
Useful properties of vegetables are widely used in cosmetology for the preparation of rejuvenating, nourishing and cleansing masks. Bulgarian pepper contains serotonin - "the hormone of joy", which relieves nervous tension, increases self-confidence, helps to get rid of depression. 
Important! The most basic function of sweet pepper for women is to prevent the development of breast cancer. That is why doctors recommend constantly include this vegetable in the diet.
For men
For men, sweet pepper is a real panacea. In its composition there is an element that protects blood vessels from fragility, which may in men cause the development of circulatory failure. Because of this, men often face the problem of poor erection. In addition, the vegetable contributes to the development of the male sex hormone.
Rich in vitamins and trace elements, pepper improves the cardiovascular system, protects the immune system, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, serves to prevent strokes and heart attacks, and significantly reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.
High content of potassium activates brain activity, increases mental performance, quickly restores strength after intense physical exertion. Vegetable is shown in the initial stages of baldness, because it allows you to wake up "sleeping bulbs" and stimulate hair growth. 
Slimming
Bulgarian pepper is an excellent way to lose weight, because it has a lower calorie content. Sweet vegetable activates metabolic processes, speeds up metabolism, removes harmful substances and toxins.
The use of oranges, cardamom, tea with sausep, spirulina, pomelo, suite and chard also helps to accelerate metabolic processes.
People who regularly consume a vegetable are not susceptible to overeating, because the elements contained in it reduce appetite, block the need for sweet and fatty foods.
Despite the low calorie content, the product is quite nutritious, it provides an opportunity to quickly saturate the body, permanently relieve the feeling of hunger. Sweet pepper is great for losing weight, soothes and normalizes the nervous system, which minimizes the risk of possible breakdowns. 
Can i eat
Bulgarian pepper, due to the presence in it of a large amount of vitamins and useful elements, is one of the vegetables that maintain the vitamin-mineral balance in the human body. However, there are categories of people who should eat this vegetable with caution, because it has some contraindications.
During pregnancy
Pregnancy is not considered a contraindication to the use of sweet paprika. On the contrary, it makes it possible to saturate the woman's body with useful substances, to compensate for the lack of vitamins that a pregnant woman needs most urgently.
Pepper has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates the immune system, enhances protective functions, and serves as a preventive measure against colds. Also, the vegetable, due to the high content of potassium, magnesium, manganese, iodine and iron, helps to better endure the pregnancy, eliminate anemia, relieve tension, overcome stress and depression, improve sleep. 
Women who suffer from hypertension, stomach ulcers, nerve pathologies, it is better to refuse to eat paprika.
With HB
Bulgarian pepper - one of the products allowed for breastfeeding. It prevents the development of anemia, strengthens the immune system, protects the body from infections.
It includes ascorbic acid and rutin, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve the cardiovascular system, which is extremely important if a woman has some health problems - stress, depression, nervous tension, diabetes, constipation, etc. P.
Pediatricians recommends introducing pepper into the diet gradually, since the baby may develop allergic reactions. Do not eat pepper until the baby is 3 months old. It is necessary to abandon the product for chronic hypertension, exacerbation of hemorrhoids, gastric ulcer. 
With pancreatitis, gastritis
Eating fresh bell pepper with gastritis is not recommended for several reasons:
- it contains, albeit in small quantities, the alkaloid capsaicin, which irritates the walls of the stomach, provokes the separation of mucus, which changes the concentration of hydrochloric acid, which is the main component of gastric juice;
- coarse fiber in pepper can be difficult to digest, it has a detrimental effect on the gastric mucosa, which makes the patient's condition noticeably worse, sharp abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting occur.
Eating pepper with pancreatitis is possible during sustained remission. During this period, it improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, has an antioxidant effect, activates enzymes, reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol.
Important! For these diseases, doctors recommend using vegetables exclusively in stewed or baked form. A portion of the product is regulated by the attending physician.
Gout
People with gout are very important dietary compliance. Pepper is a low-calorie product, which will allow, with its regular use, to speed up the recovery of the patient. However, for this you need to monitor the correctness of the heat treatment of the product.
Especially useful is the vegetable for gout, baked, stewed or boiled, in combination with other vegetables. It is very important to observe food balance and consume pepper in strictly limited quantities.
You can not eat a raw vegetable, because it can cause a disturbance of the exchange of purines, and, as a consequence, the exacerbation of the disease.
With diabetes
The presence of diabetes in humans, first of all, requires adjustment of the daily diet. It is necessary to exclude from the menu foods that trigger an increase in blood sugar and disruption of the pancreas. 
Bulgarian pepper is not contraindicated in diabetes, it contains the minimum amount of sugar, has a low calorie and glycemic index.
With this disease, the vegetable helps to cope with anemia, avoid problems with the stool, cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances, prevent the appearance of cholesterol plaques, increase the protective functions of the body in the fight against infections and viruses. To use the product in diabetes should be baked or stewed.
Cooking Application
The kitchen of any country in the world is complete without Bulgarian pepper. It is served fresh, baked, stewed, fried, boiled and marinated, various sauces are cooked and cured, added to salads and soups, stuffed with meat, cereals or other vegetables.
What is cooked in different countries of the world?
Perhaps the most common dish of Bulgarian paprika is stuffed peppers. 
It is noteworthy that it is widely popular not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union, but also in South America. American cuisine is characterized by sharp and burning notes of pepper. Especially tasty is a vegetable stuffed with spicy meat.
In the countries of the east, pepper is used to prepare savory, exotic national dishes. For example, in Tunisia, the national dish is considered felfel Makhchi - sweet peppers, stuffed with meat and fried to an appetizing crisp.
One of the favorite dishes of Italians is Italian lecho or peperonata, cooked on the basis of pepper, with the addition of onions and tomatoes. They also indulge themselves in vegetable salad with Panzanella paprika, which is especially popular in the summer.
The traditional dish of Provencal cuisine - ratatouille, has today gained fame throughout the world. It is made from pepper, eggplant and zucchini, but its specialty is considered to be a unique, fragrant and savory sauce. 
The Hungarians' national dish is goulash soup, in which the pepper is a real highlight, giving it a savory and slightly sweetish taste. Cooking tasty and hearty dishes from Austrian and Hungarian cuisine without sweet paprika will not do. Pepper harmoniously emphasizes the taste of meat, at the same time successfully emphasizes its delicate taste.
What is combined
Sweet paprika is used in cooking for preparing various dishes: appetizers, salads, sauces, stews. Pepper is a versatile product that goes well with other salad vegetables, as well as meat and cereals. The symbiosis of raw pepper with beans or nuts is considered almost ideal.
Paprika is "not picky", it is friendly with all vegetables, however, it is most closely with tomatoes. The result of such a union are delicious sauces, homemade ketchup, lecho, adjika. 
Important! During heat treatment, the vegetable loses about 70% of the useful elements, so it is recommended to use it raw, if there are no contraindications.
Blanks for winter
Pepper, thanks to the variety of colors and excellent taste, can be safely called the "king" of winter blanks.
We recommend reading about how to prepare fried and pickled peppers for the winter.
A very simple and convenient form of preserving paprika is considered to be its freezing in the refrigerator. To do this, the raw pepper is well washed, dried with a kitchen towel, cut into several pieces and sent to the freezer. When freezing whole vegetables, it is doused with boiling water so that it becomes more elastic and does not break.
Video: how to save Bulgarian pepper for the winter A very popular preparation for housewives is pepper for stuffing in brine. To do this, the peeled peppers are laid out in cans and poured with a special marinade.
In winter, tearing off such preservation, you can cook amazing stuffed peppers with incredible taste and aroma. Lecho is an extremely tasty paprika dish, originally from Hungary. It is a combination of pepper, tomato and onion, which is used as a separate dish or as a side dish.
Often, Bulgarian pepper becomes a "star" of many sauces and seasonings. For example, it is used to make adjika, homemade ketchup, meat sauces and even caviar blanks. In addition, pepper for the winter is marinated using various fillings: with garlic, onions, vegetable oil, and fragrant herbs.
Homemade face masks
Bulgarian pepper is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, in particular, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin P, which help to improve the condition of the skin, slow the aging process, enhance cell regeneration, cleanse the body and remove radionuclides. 
Such properties make it possible to use the product in cosmetology for the manufacture of various masks. The product contains substances that play an important role in oxidative processes, are responsible for youth and skin tone.
Nutritional
As part of the vegetable there are elements that allow you to penetrate deep into the skin cells, nourishing them with useful substances, eliminating dryness, peeling of the skin, eliminating the "grayness" of the face.
You will probably be interested to get acquainted with the recipes for making masks for the face based on banana, avocado, cinnamon, sunflower seeds, purslane, viburnum, grapefruit, sea buckthorn juice, spinach, barberry, apricot kernels and coconut chips.
Nourishing mask is prepared according to this recipe: 2 tbsp. chopped pepper mix with 1 tsp. fat (better than homemade) sour cream, 1 beaten egg and 10 drops of any essential oil. Apply to skin for 15-20 minutes, rinse.
Moisturizing
Bulgarian pepper has excellent moisturizing properties. To get rid of dry skin, you should prepare this mask: 3 tbsp. paprika, grated, mix with 1 tbsp. sour cream and chicken yolk. Gruel impose on the face, wash off after 20 minutes. 
Rejuvenating
There is a lot more vitamin C in ripe sweet pepper than in lemon. This vitamin promotes skin rejuvenation due to rapid cell renewal. Rutin strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes the skin more elastic and elastic, eliminates age spots.
To prepare a rejuvenating mask take: peeled pepper is crushed to a slurry, 2 tablespoons. the masses are combined with 1 tbsp. honey Gruel impose on a clean face, wash off after 15-20 minutes. Repeat the procedure once a week.
Cleansing
Due to the presence of antioxidants in the vegetable, the masks from this product make it possible to cleanse the skin well, remove acne, reduce inflammation and acne. To do this, 1 small pepper is crushed, lightly whipped protein and 1 tbsp is added to the mush. kefir. Put masochka on a clean face for 20-25 minutes. The procedure is repeated 1-2 times a week. 
Against pigment spots
Paprika allows you to even out the complexion, eliminate pigment spots, return a fresh, healthy look to your face. For this purpose, the following mask is made: 1.5 tablespoons of lb is added to the mass of one chopped vegetable. lemon juice. Masochka kept on the face for up to 20 minutes, wash off with cool water.
Use in traditional medicine
The range of use of Bulgarian paprika does not end with cooking and cosmetology. Vegetable successfully used in folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases.
It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, rejuvenating, thinning, cleansing, immunostimulating properties, thanks to which it allows:
- improve vision;
- normalize sleep and relieve depression;
- organize the work of the digestive system;
- strengthen teeth and gums;
- increase hemoglobin;
- reduce cholesterol;
- fight neuralgia, arthritis and radiculitis.
Improve the work of the digestive system and strengthen the immune system called juice from a vegetable. To do this, paprika is ground on a fine grater, the juice is separated and taken in 50 ml three times a day.
Tincture of vegetables helps to fight arthritis and rheumatism. The tool is prepared as follows: unripe fruits are crushed, poured with a small amount of alcohol or vodka, insist in a dark, dry place for two weeks. Tincture wipe sore spots.
Eczema and dermatitis can be cured by compresses: the pulp of pepper and carrot is mixed in equal proportions. From the resulting mass make compresses overnight on damaged areas. Surprisingly, the first results of treatment will be noticeable after the first procedures.
Pepper also helps to get rid of cough: 1 tbsp. paprika gruel mixed with honey in proportions of 1: 2. Take 1 tsp. three times a day. 
Important! Any treatment associated with the use of Bulgarian pepper should be agreed with the doctor.
Contraindications
Despite its obvious benefits, sweet paprika also has contraindications. And, above all, they concern people suffering from epilepsy, nervous diseases, angina pectoris. The use of vegetable stimulates the nervous system, further provokes the attacks of these ailments.
With caution should use the product for such diseases:
- hemorrhoids;
- stomach ulcer and gastritis;
- enterocolitis;
- pathology of the kidneys.
Sometimes a vegetable can cause allergies or idiosyncrasies. In large doses, pepper juice can cause a heart attack. Bulgarian pepper has long become an indispensable product in cooking, traditional medicine and cosmetology. 
Did you know? Many people believe that yellow vegetable is sweeter than green. However, this is not the case; they contain almost the same amount of sugar, in yellow it is even slightly less.It has the most valuable substances and has a positive effect on the human body. However, like all products, its use must be "dosed." Paprika is prepared in various ways: baked, stewed, pickled, etc. In any case, it will always be tasty and healthy.
