Celery and your Health

You may think of celery as the stalky equivalent of iceberg lettuce--something innocuous and low-calorie to crunch. In fact, unlike that pallid salad fare, celery, and celery seeds, are packed with healthy goodness-pretty remarkable in a food that's almost 90 percent water.

Diuretic Properties
Celery's diuretic properties have been known for centuries. By stimulating urine production, celery helps the body get rid of excess fluid and uric acid, which can aggravate joint pain associated with arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. Celery also contains insoluble fiber, which helps move other waste more quickly through and out of the body.

The combination of potassium and sodium in celery are essential to regulating fluid balance, which affects every part of the body.

Prevention
Researchers have discovered a number of compounds in celery that act as antioxidants, helping to prevent cancer or cancer growth. Phenolic acids help stop free radicals from damaging normal cells and making them cancerous; they also help neutralize carcinogenic substances such as nitrosamines, which can be formed when you eat foods containing nitrates (a common additive). And celery compounds called acetylenics have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells.

Lowering high blood pressure
Celery has been used for centuries as a remedy for lowering high blood pressure, and scientists recently discovered why it works: a chemical compound called phthalide helps blood vessels to dilate, which lowers blood pressure. Phthalide also reduces stress hormones, which cause blood vessels to constrict.

Celery's potassium content and its diuretic effect also help prevent and reduce high blood pressure.

Tranquilizing Effects
Hippocrates used celery to treat nervous patients, and he was no quack: research has shown that essential oils extracted from celery seed have a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system.

Don't neglect to eat the leaves: they contain the most vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Cooked celery retains its nutrients; try sautéing it lightly to retain it's crunch.

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.