20 Reason Why Celery Needs To Be Part Of Your Diet

Celery is grown in the ground across the world and quite frankly is one of the worst tasting vegetables, however its probably the best vegetable for its mineral and nutrient content. Personally i find celery boring and very dull, but i do understand and respect the health benefits of eating and drinking it on a daily basis.

Celery is part of the Umbelliferae family of plants and typically grows across the world to a height of around 40cm. The plant has two distinct areas, the greener region at the top of the plant which contains more chlorophyll and Vitamin A and the whiter region at the bottom of the plant which is grown shaded from sunlight but contains a high concentration of B-vitamins and minerals to include potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and essential amino acids.

Health Benefits

Celery contains a high concentration of sodium which is explains it salty taste, however even for those with a low salt thresh-hold, celery is an idea choice for a fruit juice at breakfast, however typically most people will mix celery with another fruit or vegetable to slightly sweeten the taste.

Typical Health Benefits Include:

Acidity – Celery contains a low pH scale when compared to other acidic fruits such as oranges which are very acidic and therefore does a great job of effectively balancing out the bodies acidic level.

Blood Pressure – celery does contain sodium which has been linked to high blood pressure, however it also contains Phtalides which are a mineral that acts as a muscle relaxant. By drinking or eating celery every day, phtalides will dilate the muscles around the arteries and allow the blood to flow smoothly.

Constipation – Celery is a natural laxative that will help to relieve constipation and counteract against (the opposite of laxative) in your diet to ensure that your bowel movements are smooth and consistent.

Electrolytes – Celery juice contains a rich supply of minerals and therefore is a fantastic natural way of replacing those lost electrolytes from a heavy sweating session in the gym.

Inflammation – Celery contains polyacetylene and luteolin which are a natural inflammation reduction agent and will help to fight against inflammations in the body such as arthritis, gout, asthma and bronchitis.

Kidney Stones – Celery provides the kidneys with minerals and nutrients that it need to function correctly. Whilst eliminating toxins from the blood, it also helps to prevent kidney stone from forming.

Reduce Stress – Celery contains coumarins which help to reduce the effect of stress hormones such as cortisol which have a tendency to constrict blood vessels and can lead to hypertension.

Fighting Cancer – Whilst not scientifically proved as yet, medical research is on-going with two substances apigenin and luteolin which both have been shown to help prevent the spread of cancer and are contained within celery.

Blood Detoxing – celery juice contains a high concentration of nutrients, alkalising and hydrating minerals and diuretic minerals which all help clean the blood, remove excess water from the body whilst at the same time flush out any unwanted toxins from the body.

Skin Benefits – Celery contains a wide range of vitamins to include Vitamin K to preserve skin firmness and Vitamin A/B for health skin tone.

Sleep – Celery is well know for its effect on reducing blood pressure, hypertension, stress hormones and increasing electrolytes in the body, but it also contain magnesium which is a calming mineral and can help you relax and in-turn get to sleep at night.

Lowers Cholesterol – Celery contains a chemical called 3-N-Butylphthalide that has been proved to have a positive effect on reducing the cholesterol in the bloodstream whilst increasing the secretion of bile which can also help to combat cholesterol.

Hair Care – As mentioned above, celery contain vitamin A that is needed for healthy hair.

Follow Up

Celery is a fantastic vegetable that you should be consuming in your diet given all the benefits that it contains. Look out for celery with darker leaves as these are likely to contain the most nutrients given they have had more exposure to the sunlight.

One point, celery is a succulent plant that produces it’s own pesticide to protect itself from fungi. Whilst this is not a problem in small quantities, it’s highly recommended that you stay away from consuming celery everyday and focus on consuming celery as part of a well balance diet.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.