Orange bell pepper vs orange: more vitamin C, less research

The best-tested finding on this page is about orange juice, and neither whole food: a meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials found orange juice lowered LDL cholesterol by 9.14 mg/dl against control (95% CI 2.49 to 15.79), with a larger effect in trials using 17 fl oz (500 ml) or more a day. On vitamin C the pepper wins clearly. USDA Foundation data give 158.3 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 9 raw orange bell peppers, ranging from 139 to 210, against 59.1 mg across 8 navel oranges, about 2.7 times less. Batches vary. A 2025 Korean trial measured only 56.45 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the one lot of orange peppers it analyzed. A whole fruit is a realistic portion of either, 154 g for an orange and 120 g for a regular sweet pepper, with the red pepper standing in because the US survey lists no orange one. Vitamin C from oranges or orange juice was about as bioavailable as synthetic tablets in 68 non-smoking men over two 8-week repletion cycles. In 62 adults with metabolic fatty liver disease, 14 oz (400 g) of whole oranges a day for 4 weeks left 70.9 percent with steatosis against 100 percent on non-citrus fruit. That was an exploratory outcome of a short trial.

How much is actually in it

• In USDA Foundation Foods, raw orange bell pepper averages 158.3 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 9 samples, about 2.7 times the 59.1 mg in raw navel oranges across 8 samples. — US retail samples, USDA Foundation Foods (n = 17) Evidence E source
  Bell pepper 139 to 210 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), navel orange 51.8 to 65.6 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• A 2025 Korean trial measured 56.45 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) in its orange bell peppers against 8.01 mg in mandarin oranges, far below the USDA Foundation average for orange bell pepper. — test foods analyzed for a crossover trial in 12 healthy adults Evidence D source
  Orange bell pepper 56.45 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) vs mandarin 8.01 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• In FNDDS, one raw orange weighs 5.4 oz (154 g) and one regular sweet red pepper 120 g, so a whole fruit of either is a realistic single portion. — US dietary survey portion weights Evidence E source
  Orange 154 g per fruit, sweet red pepper 120 g regular, 150 g per cup

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 12 adults, 101.7 mg vitamin C from a juice of mandarin, cherry tomato and orange bell pepper gave the highest plasma vitamin C AUC versus raw produce or powder. — 12 healthy adults, three 1-day trials with 2-week washouts (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Juice AUC 25.3 mg/dL h (abstract), above raw produce and powder
• In a randomized trial in 68 non-smoking men, 108 mg a day of vitamin C from orange segments or juice was as bioavailable as synthetic tablets over 8-week repletion. — 68 male non-smokers, two 8-week depletion-repletion cycles (n = 68) Evidence B source
  Similar plasma ascorbate slopes for oranges, juice and tablets, raw broccoli 20% lower
• In a 12-week placebo-controlled RCT in 33 adults, paprika oleoresin from Capsicum annuum raised plasma beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin dose-dependently, while capsanthin was never detected. — 33 healthy adults, 0, 20 or 100 mg paprika oleoresin daily for 12 weeks (n = 33) Evidence B source
  Dose-dependent rise in plasma beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, no adverse events

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for vegetables, stir frying keeps about 85% of vitamin C and boiling in little water about 80%, which applies to bell peppers as a group estimate. — USDA group factors, Vegetables and Vegetable Products Evidence E source
  Vitamin C retained 85% (stir fry), 80% (boiled, little water, drained)
• According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, heat and prolonged storage reduce vitamin C in foods, and steaming or microwaving may lessen losses. — general population Evidence E source
  Qualitative

What it does to your health

• In an RCT in 62 adults with MASLD, eating 14 oz (400 g) of whole oranges daily for 4 weeks cut steatosis prevalence to 70.9% versus 100% with non-citrus fruit, without weight change. — 62 men and women aged 30 to 65 with MASLD, 4 weeks (n = 62) Evidence B source
  Steatosis 70.9% vs 100% (p < 0.004), no change in fibrosis or liver enzymes except GGT
• A meta-analysis of 10 RCTs found orange juice lowered LDL cholesterol by 9.14 mg/dl and fasting glucose by 2.92 mg/dl versus control, with no effect on body composition. — adults in 10 randomized controlled trials Evidence A source
  LDL-C WMD -9.14 mg/dl (95% CI -15.79 to -2.49), glucose WMD -2.92 mg/dl

Safety, limits and interactions

• A systematic review with meta-analyses of 73 food-effect studies found orange juice significantly reduced itraconazole bioavailability. — pharmacokinetic studies of oral antifungal drugs, mostly crossover trials Evidence A source
  Itraconazole bioavailability reduced with orange juice
• A case report describes serum potassium of 9.4 mmol/L in a man with normal kidneys after weeks of drinking large volumes of reconstituted dried orange juice powder. — one 40-year-old man with normal renal function (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Serum potassium 9.4 mmol/L, resolved after stopping the beverage

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize a claim that cryptoxanthin from orange juice strengthens the immune system or acts as an antioxidant. — EU regulatory assessment Evidence E source
  Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• Observational data from 582 hemodialysis patients in Portugal link eating bell peppers, among other foods, to greater overhydration between sessions. — 582 patients on hemodialysis in 37 Portuguese centers (n = 582) Evidence C source
  Bell pepper intake predicted greater hyperhydration

The bottom line

Cooking costs some vitamin C. The USDA retention table gives about 85 percent kept after stir frying and 80 percent after boiling in a little water and draining, figures for vegetables as a group with no value for peppers on their own. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that heat and long storage both reduce vitamin C and that steaming or microwaving may lessen the loss. In a crossover trial in 12 adults, a juice blended from mandarin, cherry tomato and orange bell pepper, carrying 101.7 mg vitamin C, produced a higher plasma vitamin C curve than the same produce eaten raw or as powder. The paper reports that curve as 25.3 in its abstract and 23.5 in its results, and each form was tested for a single day. A paprika oleoresin supplement from the same pepper species raised blood beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin in step with the dose over 12 weeks in 33 adults, while capsanthin never appeared in blood. That was an extract, not fresh pepper. The EU did not authorize a claim that cryptoxanthin from orange juice strengthens the immune system or acts as an antioxidant, which means the evidence submitted was judged insufficient. If you take the antifungal itraconazole, this one matters. A systematic review of 73 food-effect studies found orange juice significantly reduced how much of the drug is absorbed, though most of those studies were small open crossover trials of low overall quality and none tested whole oranges. The prescriber or pharmacist can say what to take the dose with. One case report describes a 40-year-old man with normal kidneys whose blood potassium reached 9.4 mmol/L after weeks of drinking large volumes of reconstituted orange juice powder. It is a single case involving a powder. In 582 people on hemodialysis in Portugal, eating bell peppers was among the habits that predicted more fluid gain between sessions, an association whose cause the study did not establish. We found no data on pregnancy, children or allergy for either food.

Sources

1. bpo-daily-r1-01 · food composition data
   Peppers, bell, orange, raw: Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 158.3 MG, range 139.0-210.0 (median 148.5), 9 samples; Oranges, raw, navels: Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 59.1 MG, range 51.8-65.6 (median 58.0), 8 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-01
2. bpo-daily-r1-02 · food composition analysis
   The measured vitamin C content was 8.01 ± 0.38 mg/100 g for mandarin orange, 14.31 ± 1.21 mg/100 g for cherry tomato, 56.45 ± 2.48 mg/100 g for orange bell pepper, and 50.21 ± 8.90 mg/100 g for the mixed juice.
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
3. bpo-daily-r1-09 · dataset
   FNDDS 61119010 Orange, raw: 1 fruit 154 g · 1 section/slice 15 g · 1 cup 180 g; FNDDS 75122200 Peppers, sweet, red, raw: 1 regular 120 g · 1 cup 150 g · 1 miniature 30 g · 1 ring 10 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, codes 61119010 and 75122200 · checked 2026-10-01
4. bpo-daily-r1-03 · crossover RCT, bioavailability
   All interventions elevated plasma vitamin C levels, with juice yielding the highest AUC (25.3 ± 3.2 mg/dL·h).
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
5. bpo-daily-r1-04 · RCT, bioavailability
   Ascorbic acid ingested as cooked broccoli, orange juice or fruit, or in synthetic form seems to be equally bioavailable.
   J Nutr, 1993 · checked 2026-10-01
6. bpo-daily-r1-14 · RCT, 12 weeks
   In these experiments, β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin dose-dependently accumulated in plasma within the dose range of the study over 12 consecutive weeks of paprika oleoresin supplementation.
   J Oleo Sci, 2018 · checked 2026-10-01
7. bpo-daily-r1-07 · dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:3785 VEG,OTHER,STIR FRY, group Vegetables and Vegetable Products: vitamin_c_mg 85% retained, folate_total_ug 80%; USDA-RETN-R6:3774 VEG,OTHER,BLD,LITTLE WATER,DRAINED: vitamin_c_mg 80% retained
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Codes 3785 and 3774 · checked 2026-10-01
8. bpo-daily-r1-08 · agency fact sheet
   The vitamin C content of food may be reduced by prolonged storage and by cooking because ascorbic acid is water soluble and is destroyed by heat [6,8]. Steaming or microwaving may lessen cooking losses.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-01
9. bpo-daily-r1-05 · RCT, 4 weeks
   After 4 weeks of orange supplementation, liver steatosis decreased in the treatment group, with 70.9% showing steatosis compared to 100% in controls (p < 0.004), indicating a 30% reduction in liver disease prevalence.
   Nutrients, 2024 · checked 2026-10-01
10. bpo-daily-r1-06 · meta-analysis
    LDL-C (WMD: -9.14 mg/dl, 95% CI: -15.79, -2.49, p = 0.007)
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-10-01
11. bpo-daily-r1-11 · systematic review
    Acidic beverages such as Coca Cola substantially enhanced the absorption of itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole, whereas orange juice significantly reduced itraconazole bioavailability.
    Clin Pharmacokinet, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
12. bpo-daily-r1-12 · case report
    Further history revealed excessive daily consumption of large volumes of a dried orange juice powder reconstituted as a beverage over several weeks.
    Cureus, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01
13. bpo-daily-r1-10 · EU claim register
    POL-HC-7000 Cryptoxanthin from orange juice (Cryptoxanthin from) orange juice participate to strengthen immune system. Clarification provided (Cryptoxanthin from) orange juice ensure antioxidant action / ensure protective effect on the organism. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7000, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-01
14. bpo-daily-r1-13 · observational cohort
    Consumption of bacon, savory snacks, carrots, bell peppers, cherries, and soup predicted greater hyperhydration, while rice, cookies, and grapes show the opposite effect, regardless of age, sex, diabetes, and HD duration.
    Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01