Sweet Paprika - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Sweet paprika is a dry spice made from ground sweet, bright red peppers that have been dried. It's not spicy; instead, sweet paprika tastes fruity, sour, bitter, and of course, sweet.

Sweet paprika is the most common kind of paprika, and if you buy a spice that just says "paprika" on the label, it's probably sweet paprika. Sweet paprika goes well with both earthy and sour flavours, and it adds a hint of sweetness to spice mixes that balances out the stronger flavours. Use it as a rub for meat or with chicken, hummus, potatoes, eggs, or even eggs.

What is sweet paprika?

Sweet paprika is usually used when a recipe just says "paprika." It may not be sweet or spicy. It is made from bright red peppers that are sweet but don't have any heat. Use it to give a dish colour or a mild peppery taste. Peppers that are very hot and spicy are used to make hot paprika.

Difference between regular and sweet paprika:

Plain or regular paprika doesn't have much taste and is mostly used as a garnish because of its bright orange colour. As the name suggests, sweet paprika tastes sweeter and a little bit fruity, with a hint of pepper.

Difference between sweet and hot paprika:

Sweet paprika is made from sweet peppers, while hot paprika is made from peppers that are hotter and have more of the inner pitch, which is where most of the heat is. It usually doesn't have as much flavour as sweet paprika, but what it lacks in flavour it makes up for in heat. Just like peppers come in different levels of heat, hot paprika can be mildly spicy or really hot. Use it in Southern-style spice mixes or in dishes where you would normally use sweet paprika to give them a little extra kick.

Alternatives to sweet paprika:

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne is another ground pepper spice that looks similar to paprika in colour. It is much hotter than paprika, though, so you will only need about half or even a third as much. You can get the sweetness of paprika back by adding a little honey or sugar.

Chilli powder

Chilli powder is another fiery-coloured spice that comes from pepper. It is hotter than paprika, and the chilli is often blended with other spices like cumin and garlic, so the taste may be very different from what you expect. 

Chilli flakes

Chilli flakes are not blended with other spices, so they taste a little bit more like paprika and are a good match for the colour. But they are different in texture from paprika, and like chilli powder, they tend to be hotter. Change 1 teaspoon of paprika for 1/3 teaspoon of chilli flakes to get the same level of heat.

Health benefits of sweet paprika:

1. Packed with antioxidants

There are many antioxidants in paprika. Peppers are used to make things that are used to fight diseases because they can fight oxidative stress. There are different kinds of carotenoid in paprika, and they help to fight disease. Because the nutrients dissolve in fat, they are best absorbed when eaten with a healthy source of fat, like an avocado. Beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene, and lutein are all carotenoids that are found in paprika. Beta cryptoxanthin can help reduce the pain and swelling caused by arthritis. Zeaxanthin and lutein are good for your eyes and can stop molecules from doing damage that can lead to macular degeneration.

2. Treats cancer

Capsaicin, which is found in spicy paprika, is used to treat one kind of illness. It might be able to stop or treat cancer. Capsaicin changes the way signals are sent, which slows the growth of cancer and stops genes from telling tumours to get bigger. Capsaicin can help reduce inflammation in gastric cancer.

3. Treats for diabetes

Paprika is one of the foods and spices that is high in nutrients and has the potential to help control blood sugar levels and treat diabetes. Women with diabetes are less likely to have babies that are too big for their gestational ages if they take capsaicin.

4. Eye care

This spice has a lot of antioxidants like lutein, vitamin A, and zeaxanthin, so it's clear that paprika can help keep eye diseases from happening. Vitamin B6 keeps eyes healthy in addition to these nutrients. With a high amount of folate, people who eat a lot of B6 have a lower chance of getting macular degeneration and other eye diseases.

5. Ensures healthy heart

Paprika helps keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. High blood pressure can be lowered by vitamin B6, and damaged blood vessels can be fixed with it. It helps treat anaemia by making haemoglobin, which is the part of blood that carries oxygen through the bloodstream. It has the main carotenoid in spice, which is called capsanthin. Capsanthin, which is found in paprika, helps keep good cholesterol levels, which is good for your heart.

6. Stops hair loss

Paprika has a lot of Vitamin B6, which helps keep hair from falling out. There is enough iron in paprika to make it easier for oxygen to get to hair follicles. It helps hair grow by increasing blood flow to the scalp.