Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that also functions as an antioxidant. Because heat readily destroys vitamin C, bell peppers that are cooked until tender-crisp retain more of the nutrient than those that are cooked longer. Thus, cooking peppers does not remove their health benefits. Hot peppers contain a number of chemicals that act on your body in different ways. The most important is capsaicin, which is responsible for the hot flavor and pain-relieving properties of chiles. Eating small amounts of hot peppers every day is thought to be safe for most people. Larger doses may cause stomach problems or lead to increased blood pressure; if you have heart disease or high blood pressure, however, it's best to avoid hot peppers altogether. The other benefit of eating peppers is the presence of vitamin C. One cup of chopped raw red bell pepper contains 69 percent of the daily value of this vitamin. Vitamin C helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and plays a role in the formation of collagen, which provides support for skin, muscles, and bones. Cooking peppers decreases their vitamin C content slightly but doesn't affect its ability to keep you healthy.