Oxalate <25 mg/serving
Oxalate 25-99 mg/serving
Oxalate ≥100 mg/serving
Bell peppers are nightshades, which means they sometimes get caught in the anti-nightshade discourse in wellness circles. Ignore that. Bell peppers have about 11 mg oxalate per half-cup — safely under the 25 mg threshold. They're loaded with vitamin C at food-level doses (not megadose supplements, which are a different story) and add color, crunch, and sweetness to any meal. Red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers are equally safe. The 'nightshades cause inflammation' claim lacks strong evidence for most people, and even if true for some individuals, it's separate from oxalate content. Eat your peppers — raw with hummus, sauteed in stir-fries, roasted and peeled.
📊 Nutrition at a Glance
🚨 High Sodium Alert
Pepper contains 2643 mg sodium per 100g — well above the recommended limit for kidney stone patients. High sodium intake can increase calcium in urine, raising stone risk.
📏 Oxalate by Serving Size
| Serving | Weight | Oxalate | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup, sliced | 57 g | 11 mg | Safe |
| 2 x 1/2 cup, sliced | 114 g | 22 mg | Safe |
| ½ x 1/2 cup, sliced | 28 g | 5.5 mg | Safe |
🏷️ Tags
🟢 See all Vegetables rated Safe for kidney stones →
🔗 Related Foods
🟢 Safe alternatives (recommended)
⚠️ Other foods in this category to watch
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat Pepper with kidney stones?
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: at 11 mg per 1/2 cup, sliced, Pepper is one of the safer things you can eat if you're watching oxalate. Harvard T.H. Chan SPH measured this directly.
What's the oxalate content of Pepper?
11 mg — that's the oxalate in a standard 1/2 cup, sliced of Pepper. For the 100g comparison freaks: 20 mg. Source is Harvard's 2024 food analysis project.
Is Pepper low or high oxalate?
Low. 11 mg per 1/2 cup, sliced puts Pepper firmly in the low-oxalate category. Safe for regular eating if you're managing kidney stones.
What can I eat instead of Pepper?
Don't give up the whole category — just pick a safer member of it. The green foods in the related section all work as substitutes for Pepper with a fraction of the oxalate.
Is Pepper high in sodium?
Here's the sodium catch with Pepper: 2643 mg/100g. Excess sodium = more calcium in urine = higher stone risk. The oxalate number isn't the only thing that matters here.