Celery is a food that has a lot of surprises. Did you know that it’s technically an herb and not a vegetable? More importantly, celery is a great source of antioxidants, enzymes, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6. It also is full of dietary fiber, antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenol phytonutrients. Pretty darn impressive for a light green stick of crunchy water.
Here are some of the amazing things that can be achieved by regularly adding celery to your diet:
- Lowers cholesterol levels- celery has a unique compound called 3-n-butylphthalide that has been shown to lower lipids in the blood.
- Fights Inflammation- celery has loads of antioxidants and polysaccharides that fight free radicals that can lead to inflammation, which is the leading cause of chronic diseases. Celery is also full of good things like phenolic acids and flavonoids like quercetin that stop the growth of unproductive bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, and viruses.
- Lowers blood pressure -celery has anti-hypertensive seeds that help reduce high blood pressure.
- Helps avoid digestive disorders- celery can reduce the formation of ulcers with an ethanol extract that protects the lining of the digestive tract. It can also improve levels of gastric mucus needed in the stomach lining with flavonoids, tannins, volatile oils and alkaloids that control the level of gastric acid.
- Liver cleaner-celery reduces fat buildup in the liver and improves liver enzyme function.
- Can control weight- celery is low in calories (only 10 calories per stalk), provides nutrients and regulates metabolism. Because it’s mostly water and electrolytes, celery prevents dehydration and acts as a diuretic to reduce bloating.
- Improve brain function-celery juice removes ammonia permeability, a condition where ammonia gas gets into the intestinal lining and causes health issues like brain fog and memory loss. It also helps restore the adrenals that supports neuron functions.
- Helps prevent urinary tract infections- celery reduces uric acid and stimulates urine production. (a lot like cranberries do) and helps prevent bladder disorders and kidney problems.
There are many ways to get celery into your diet. You can add celery leaves to stir-fries and soups. Another great way is to blend celery, cucumber, spinach, apple, lemon for a great tasting green smoothie (this helps detox and cleanse your body of toxic heavy metals). Celery juice on its own is a powerful antioxidant, but it’s very important to get organic celery to get the most benefits without consuming toxins and chemicals.
