Celery has been all the rage lately. You may have seen celery on social media such as Instagram, or read about it from the widely popular Medical Medium author Anthony William. He is seen as the originator of the Global Celery Juice Movement.
The trend has people drinking celery juice on an empty stomach every morning, and Anthony swears the healing properties are abundant and clear.
So, is it all hype, or is it actually the miracle juice it’s hyped up to be?
What’s In Celery?
Not too long ago it seemed like celery was a widely overlooked vegetable. A plate of celery, carrots, and dip will find itself deprived of everything except celery. It really seemed like people only ate celery because of the fact that it is a negative calorie vegetable (For those who don’t know, celery has such little calories that you actually burn calories eating it).
This leaves individuals in a win-win situation of losing weight while getting precious nutrition. However, many don’t know what’s in celery and what its health benefits are.
Celery contains vitamins K, A, B-2, B-6, and C. It also has:
- Folate
- Potassium
- Manganese
- pantothenic acid
There are also a myriad of phytochemicals and antioxidants which help fight inflammation and disease. Not to mention, it is full of water so it will help keep you hydrated.
The other great nutritional aspect of celery is what isn’t in it: sugar. Since it is so low in calories and sugar, it is the perfect choice to add to any diet.
Health Benefits
Great, celery is full of nutrition as it should be. So what are the miraculous health benefits?
Well, despite all the claims, there aren’t extensive studies on the health benefits of celery. Many of the current studies aren’t even about humans. Experts mainly use the compounds and chemicals in celery to explain the health benefits.
The two notable compounds are apigenin and luteolin, which are known to help treat a wide variety of inflammatory diseases.
Celery can also help prevent: cardiovascular diseases, jaundice, liver disease, urinary tract obstructions, gout, and rheumatic disorders.
Dr. Sonia Singh at Memorial Hermann Medical Group Texas Medical Center Internal Medicine and Endocrinology says celery juice has been around forever and it isn’t a miracle-maker.
So while the health benefits of celery juice are clearly there, the extent isn’t clear-cut.
What to Watch Out for
When you juice anything, you are extracting only a part of the entire whole. Juicing celery leaves the fiber out, which is definitely a plus for anyone. According to Dr. Singh, however, juicing condenses the nutrients and phytochemicals, which is good because you can get the nutrition of a lot of celery in a glass of its juice.
There are dangers to look out for. Celery contains psoralen, so those who are sensitive to it are more prone to skin irritations. Moreover, eating a lot of foods high in psoralen can increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV light.
Dr. Singh also says that those who have a history of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease should consult a doctor first. Vitamin K counteracts blood thinners and celery juice in general may interfere with some medicines.
Conclusion
While celery juice has many health benefits, it isn’t a cure-all solution. Adding 8oz – 16oz of celery juice every morning can become a fantastic habit that can be positive for mental and physical health. However, just relying on celery everyday for nutrition is not good, and from a nutritional standpoint, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day provides the greatest health benefit.
Get a complete meal plan that is customized for you today! All you have to do is sign up for a free consultation with Modern Fit. Not to mention, you will get a customized fitness plan as well. Sign up here!
