Know2eat

Paprika

Capsicum annuum

Also known as paprika, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, pimentón

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Ground dried Capsicum annuum peppers, ranging from sweet to hot and sometimes smoked over oak. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried spice, while a generous teaspoon in a stew is around two grams.

Antioxidant & Oxidative StressEye Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Oxidative stress markers

Antioxidant & Oxidative Stress
Limited evidence

Paprika oleoresin and its carotenoids have been examined mainly in laboratory and animal work, with only a small number of human studies, and those used concentrated extracts rather than the spice. Laboratory antioxidant scores do not carry over reliably to people.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Macular health

Eye Health
Insufficient evidence

Paprika supplies carotenoids including zeaxanthin, which is concentrated in the macula. No human study has tested paprika as a food for eye outcomes, and culinary portions are small compared with the intakes used in eye research.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Paprika

Ask about Paprika

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories282 kcal14%
Protein14.1 g28%
Total fat12.9 g17%
Carbohydrate54 g20%
Fibre34.9 g125%
Total sugars10.3 g—
Water11.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat2.14 g11%
Monounsaturated fat1.7 g—
Polyunsaturated fat7.77 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
ALA (omega-3)0.453 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)7.31 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A2463 µg274%
Vitamin C0.9 mg1%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E29.1 mg194%
Vitamin K80.3 µg67%
Thiamin (B1)0.33 mg28%
Riboflavin (B2)1.23 mg95%
Niacin (B3)10.1 mg63%
Pantothenic acid (B5)2.51 mg50%
Vitamin B62.14 mg126%
Folate49 µg12%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline51.5 mg9%
Minerals
Calcium229 mg18%
Iron21.1 mg117%
Magnesium178 mg42%
Phosphorus314 mg25%
Potassium2280 mg49%
Sodium68 mg3%
Zinc4.33 mg39%
Copper0.713 mg79%
Manganese1.59 mg69%
Selenium6.3 µg11%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene26162 µg—
Alpha-carotene595 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin18944 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash7.74 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spices, paprika (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171329).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • with fatIncreases carotenoid absorption

    Paprika carotenoids are fat-soluble, and the traditional technique of blooming paprika briefly in warm fat both disperses the colour and improves carotenoid absorption. Overheating scorches it and turns it bitter.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    A long history of adulteration

    Paprika has repeatedly been found adulterated with Sudan azo dyes and, in one notorious episode, with lead compounds used to deepen its colour, prompting international recalls. Provenance matters more for paprika than for most spices.

  • Allergy

    Occupational paprika sensitisation

    Inhaling paprika dust occupationally causes hypersensitivity pneumonitis, historically described in paprika processing workers. Dietary allergy to paprika is rare but reported.

  • Too much

    Hot paprika carries the same irritant effects as chilli

    Hot varieties contain capsaicin and share chilli powder’s tendency to irritate the gut and worsen reflux at high intake.