Written by Providr Contributor
Celery is usually a staple of any veggie platter and makes for a versatile ingredient in everything from soups to salads. While you’re probably familiar with this marshland plant, you might not have realized the vast benefits that can come from eating this vegetable.
Celery may be composed of mostly water, but it’s also chock-full of antioxidants, beneficial enzymes, and major vitamins and minerals. All of these properties can have incredible benefits for the skin, hair, and your overall health.
Most people tend to consume the celery stalk, but before you go chopping away for your next meal, the leaves and seeds (which can be found in a variety of forms) can also have impressive health benefits. It can be easy to underestimate this veggie, but after reading these 25 amazing benefits associated with celery, you’ll be sure to have it as a regular addition to your grocery list.
1. Weight Loss
Celery is low in calories and high in fiber, making it an ideal choice for those looking to lose weight. A single cup of chopped celery contains 1.6 g of dietary fiber (USDA), which helps curb cravings by making you feel full for longer. Additionally, celery’s high water content is crucial to maintaining a healthy diet because it helps keep you hydrated.
2. Helps Digestion
Celery has natural fibers and phytochemicals that are important in helping aid digestion. According to LiveStrong, because celery has equal amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, consuming it helps prevent constipation and facilitates nutrient digestion and absorption.
3. Lowers Cholesterol
Celery contains a compound, 3-n-butylphthaline (3nb), which has been found to be beneficial to lowering blood pressure (Dr. Michael Murray, N.D.). A study by Chicago University published in the New York Times showed that due to this compound, eating four stalks of celery per day can result in lowering cholesterol (LDL) by about 7 percent.
4. Reduces Inflammation
According to Dr. Axe, celery has been found to have over a dozen different types of antioxidants, which makes this vegetable useful for treating conditions that are hindered by inflammation such as arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. The antioxidants and polysaccharides celery contain are known to have anti-inflammatory effects (Critical Reviews in Biotechnology).
5. Replenish Electrolytes
Instead of opting for a sports drink, you might want to indulge in a rib of celery instead to replenish electrolytes. The high levels of potassium and sodium found in celery make it a great snack (or juice) for those who need to replace electrolytes after exerting themselves.
6. Helps Prevent Cancer
Celery has a number of chemo-preventive properties, including a compound, called apigenin, which has been proven to kill cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying (Journal of Cancer Prevention). Incorporating celery into your daily diet can help decrease the risk of getting breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer (Healthy Holistic Living).
7. Helps Hydrate The Body
It should be no surprise that celery is a great hydrating snack considering its 95 percent water (SFGate). According to Dr. Susan Shirreffs, a hydration expert at Loughborough University, watery vegetables like celery contain levels of minerals and sugar that can hydrate you more effectively than water alone.
8. Treats Kidney Stones
There are a number of medications for kidney stones that can come with side effects, but celery is actually one vegetable that has become widely used to treat them. This is because celery’s essential oil contains chrysoberyl 7-O-glucoside, Luteolin, 7-O-apiosylglucoside and Luteolin7-O (Journal of Renal Injury Prevention).
9. Good For Eyesight
Vitamin A can help aid the health of tissues in your eyes and just one stalk of celery a day accounts for 10% of the daily recommended allowance. Also, celery contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are two important nutrients that may decrease the risk of degenerative eye disease (SolanoEye).
10. Helps Relieve Migraines
Anyone who has ever had a migraine knows that dehydration can only make things worse, which is why celery’s high water content can help relieve this condition. Tinctures of celery seeds can also help prevent migraines because they are rich in magnesium (University of Maryland Medical Center).
11. Helps Eliminate Bad Breath
Want a snack that leaves you with fresh breath? Celery is considered a “detergent food” because of its ability to help eliminate the odors hanging around in the mouth. Eating this vegetable can help mechanically scrape off the odor-causing bacteria on your tongue while you chew. (University of Minnesota)
12. Helps Treat Acne
When it comes to treating acne, it’s not just about topical solutions, it’s about what you put in your body as well. Celery can be beneficial for clearing up acne because it’s rich in Vitamin C, which also helps stimulate collagen production. It can also work as a diuretic to help flush bad waste products in the body that can lead to skin problems. (Heal Your Face with Food).
13. Prevents Ulcers
Celery can be beneficial in preventing ulcers caused by the bacteria H. pylori. This vegetable, alongside other flavonoid-rich foods, has been shown to inhibit the growth of this bacteria while also working to prevent damage to the lining of the stomach and esophagus (University of Maryland Medical Center).
14. Helps Ease Menopause Symptoms
Studies have shown that eating foods rich in plant phytoestrogens can help balance hormone levels. Celery is known to be a good source of phytoestrogens. Also, a 2011 study published in Pharmacognosy Reviews concluded that the intake of phytoestrogens can take out the postmenopausal indications to a large extent.
15. Helps Calm The Nervous System
Making celery a part of your daily diet can help relieve people who struggle with stress due to certain essential oils in the vegetable that help regulate the nervous system. Also, celery is rich in magnesium, which can also help promote restfulness (The Guardian).
16. Prevent Fungal Infections. According to a test tube 2012 study published in the journal “Natural Products Research,” scientists discovered that celery oil has potential as a natural anti-fungal. The results were found by testing oil extracts from wild celery in Portugal and Italy against various types of pathogenic fungi.
17. Helps Reduce Stomach Bloating
Bloating can cause physical discomfort due to too much gas in the digestive tract. This uncomfortable tension in the stomach can be caused by overeating rich and fatty foods. However, vegetables with phytochemical components like celery can help reduce fluid retention in the body. (Food Matters).
18. May Help Treat Asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease, and celery is known for having anti-inflammatory effects, which makes it a beneficial dietary addition. Bernard Jensen’s Foods That Heal: A Guide To Understanding And Using The Healing Powers of Natural Foods recommends juicing celery mixed with papaya juice for those who suffer from asthma.
19. Can Improve One’s Sex Life
You may be surprised that celery has aphrodisiac properties due to the fact that it contains androsterone, which can stimulate arousal in females. (National Geographic). A 2015 study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine also found that celery leaf extract may improve spermatogenesis process.
20. Can Help Treat Diabetes
Celery has become a vegetable recommended to those who suffer from diabetes partially because of its vitamin K content, which can help reduce inflammation. Celery can also be beneficial to those with diabetes because of its antibacterial effects and plethora of health perks (Live Strong).
21. Boosts Brain Power
Celery is known to be one of the richest sources of luteolin, a flavone which has been studied for its ability to calm inflammation in the brain. A 2010 study from the University of Illinois linked a diet in luteolin to lower rates of age-related memory loss (Forbes).
22. Improves Alkaline Balance
Celery is one of the most alkaline foods you can eat and is known to quickly neutralize acids. Because this vegetable is high in sodium and potassium, it works to help rid the body of excess fluid, but its high water content also keeps the body hydrated. (LiveLoveFruit)
23. Anti-Aging Properties
Celery is a good natural source of vitamin A and C, which are both known to help with anti-aging of the skin. The Vitamin E found in celery stalk can also benefit the skin by replenishing natural hydration and fighting the effects of aging by neutralizing the free radicals. (Space Coast Education Center)
24. Helps Strengthen The Immune System
The intake of nutrients strongly influences the immune system and Vitamin C has been proven to help strengthen it. (Med Monatsschr Pharm.) Considering 100 grams of celery contains 5% of the recommended Vitamin C intake, this versatile vegetable makes for a great meal addition. (USDA)
25. Protects Liver Health
Researchers at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Helwan University in Egypt did a study where they fed hypercholesterolemic rats a plant mixture of celery, chicory, and barley for four weeks. They found that the rats’ health improved and suggest that those suffering from liver disease could also benefit from diets high in these three ingredients.
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