Celery Health Benefits

For such a humble vegetable, celery health benefits are many. But first have a look at celery's nutritional highlights:

• Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre.
• It's a very good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin B6 and B1.
• Celery is a good source of calcium and vitamin B2.
• Rich source of dietary sodium.

Note: While it's true that celery contains more sodium than most vegetables, the sodium is offset by very high levels of potassium.

Furthermore, the amount of sodium is not significant even for the most salt-sensitive individuals.

One celery stalk contains approximately 32 milligrams of sodium and 104 milligrams of potassium and only 20 calories as carbohydrate.

Some of Celery Health Benefits

Most experts believe that the most common cause of bad breath is poor dental hygiene.

In the absence of proper brushing and flossing, food particles on the teeth and the back of the tongue breed pungent bacteria.

Munching on a stalk of celery is helpful in two ways: its roughness helps scrub bacteria from the back of the tongue and its natural fibres assist in cleaning the teeth. It's like using an edible toothbrush.

In fact, if you ever find yourself without a toothbrush, chomping on a celery stick after a meal or first thing in the morning will do the trick.

Bladder infections - With loads of analgesic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic compounds, as well as some calcium blockers, celery seed extracts seem appropriate for treating bladder infections.

Celery seeds are said to improve the quantity and quality of urine and are a useful diuretic for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Bursitis - COX-2 inhibitors are a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that were acclaimed as the new "miracle aspirin", but needless to say have many side-effects.

As it happens, many foods and edible spices contain natural COX-2 inhibitors and are unlikely to cause any adverse side-effects.

Two of the best natural sources of COX-2 inhibitors are celery and celery seeds, which contain high amounts of painkilling apigenin.

So bursitis and many other inflammatory conditions will benefit from including celery in your diet or making a tea from freshly crushed celery seeds.

Cancer - One of active compounds in celery is the phytochemical coumarin, which has been proven effective in cancer prevention and capable of enhancing the activity of certain white blood cells that help fight cancer.

Fungal infections - Celery is naturally resistant to pathogens during storage because it contains a melting pot of fungicides, with more than two dozen already identified.

If you're prone to fungal infections or currently battling one, eat a celery stalk a day to keep those microbes in check.

Gout - The COX-2 inhibitors present in celery and celery seeds are also good at reducing uric acid levels, which are the cause of gout attacks. Either eating four celery stalks or taking two to four tablets of celery seed extract daily can even eliminate gout attacks.

Or you might try preparing a tea by pouring boiling water over 1 teaspoon of freshly crushed celery seeds and letting it steep for 10 to 20 minutes before drinking it.

Hay fever - Celery comes on top of the list for foods that alleviate allergy symptoms. Also on that list are carrots, ginger, peppermint, parsley, turmeric, chamomile and cabbage.

High blood pressure - Phytochemical compound present in celery, called coumarins, are able to tone the vascular system, lowering blood pressure and may even be useful in cases of migraines. (Read more on celery and high blood pressure)

It can contain two dozen painkillers, more than two dozen anti-inflammatories, 11 anti-ulcer compounds and more than two dozen sedatives to complement the activities of its three carminative compounds (carminatives are herbs or preparations that prevent or facilitate expulsion of gas).

Memory loss - Celery contains a compound called luteolin, which has shown promise for lowering levels of plaque-forming proteins in the brain.

This, in turn, can counteract risk factors for Alzheimer's, including atherosclerosis, inflammation and oxidative damage.

Another source of luteolin is flaxseed.

Menopausal symptoms - Celery, along with dill, fennel, anise and all tasty herbs of the celery family, are amongst the list of mildly oestrogenic herbs, due to the gently oestrogenic phtyochemical anethole.

They all have 40 to 50 phytochemicals and are a mix of anethole, apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin and quercitin.

All these compounds are very good at alliviating all menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, and contribute to preventing heart disease and osteoporosis but without the side-effects of HRT treatment.

Pneumonia - Celery is a well known vegetable for stimulating the immune system to help fight disease. Celery is packed with antioxidants and compounds that fight bacteria, viruses and inflammation.

Some Serving Suggestions to Enjoy Celery Health Benefits

• Raw celery can be eaten whole, juiced or used in salads.
• Add chopped celery to your favorite tuna or chicken salad recipe.
• Although it can be serverd on its own after lightly steaming, celery is an excellent addition to soups, stews and vegetable stir-fries.
• Braised chopped celery, radicchio and onions and serve topped with walnuts and your favorite soft cheese.
• Dip celery sticks into peanut butter or any other nut butter of your choice.

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