Celery is a
superfood!
Eating just one stick of celery a day is a healthy choice. It contains a
ton of anti-inflammatory compounds, is an excellent diuretic, helping
to remove uric acid crystals from around painful joints and can help
lower blood pressure
As a discerning health seeker I
can’t help but get really excited about celery and its myriad of health
benefits. It has a distinctive, tangy crunch that adds a refreshing
depth to salads, whilst easily earning a five star thumbs-up as the
perfect finger food. Celery also works wonders as a natural scoop for
dips, pates and nut butters. You’ll often find it as an ingredient in
soups and stews, to bring a tasty base flavour to various culinary
creations. An unexpected bonus for anyone watching their weight, is
that it’s ridiculously low in calories, with scientists going as far as
saying that chewing it uses up more energy than the vegetable itself
contains!
What is celery and where did it come from?
Originally, celery grew wild along the muddy Mediterranean wetlands.
After traveling far and wide across the world, celery has been widely
cultivated. It naturally grows green stalks, although earthing up (which
blocks out the sunlight) keeps them white and tender. Green celery has a
stronger flavour and is often a vegetable of choice for cooking, whilst
the tenderness of white celery lends itself particularly well to salads
and dipping. The most common alternative variety of celery is called
celeriac (also known as celery root), which grows a large edible
turnip-like ball (strictly speaking it isn’t actually a root despite
it’s name).
Every discerning health seekers dream come true
With a powerhouse of phyto-nutrients, celery is a health
seeker’s dream come true. The benefits can be found in the leaves,
stalks, seeds and roots. Over recent years, I began to consistently
notice that I’d start feeling better after eating or juicing celery.
Then I found out why. It turns out that, like many vegetables, celery is
a power-packed, health supporting superstar!
Health benefits of celery
It can help to reduce blood pressure and prevent related cardiovascular diseases:
It contains pthalides (organic chemical compounds that act to lower
the level of stress hormones in the body). Pthalides have been shown to
relax smooth muscles, allowing the blood vessels to expand. This
creates more space and lowers our blood pressure (this process is known
as vasodilation). This naturally reduces the chances of related
cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attacks and
strokes.
Powerful anti-inflammatory:
The powerful anti-inflammatory effects of celery may have something
to do with two special compounds present in this vegetable called
luteolin and polyacetylenes. Luteolin has been shown to have a powerful
inhibitory effect on certain enzymes responsible for the inflammatory
process. Polyacetylenes reduce inflammation by lowering levels of
inflammatory prostaglandins in the body. Arthritis sufferers are
believed to benefit from high food sources of polyacetylenes.
Celery contains a wealth of other anti-inflammatory compounds such as
flavonols, like quercetin (well documented for its ability to reduce
inflammation).
Celery is one of the best plant sources of the natural version of
COX-2 inhibitors (COX-2 inhibitors are anti-inflammatory drugs), owing
to its high quantities of the painkilling apigenin compound.
Antioxidant, disease fighting superstar:
Celery is full of antioxidant compounds like flavonols, flavones,
phenolic acids and furanocoumarins, which have shown to decrease the
risk of oxidative damage to fats and lessen oxidative damage to blood
vessel walls – preventing free radical damage. Whilst its natural
diuretic and anti-inflammatory benefits make it a bit of an all-round
disease prevention superstar.
One of the amazing things about the acetylenics antioxidants
present in celery, is that they have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells.
The phytochemical coumarin also found in celery, prevents free
radical damage and has been effective in cancer prevention by
encouraging the activity of certain white blood cells that help fight
cancer.
Healthy joint health:
As we have seen above, the anti-inflammatory effects of celery are
rather impressive, not least because of it’s natural high levels of the
anti-inflammatory/pain-reducing compound apigenin.
Celery is also an excellent diuretic, helping to remove uric acid crystals from around painful joints.
Bladder infections:
Celery’s excellent diuretic properties make celery a great choice for preventing bladder and other urinary tract infections.
Great digestive support:
Celery contains several carminative (flatulence relieving) compounds.
Along with its powerful anti-inflammatory, painkilling, sedative
effects, it also offers an impressive compliment of anti-ulcer
compounds, making it a real asset when it comes to digestion support.
How to enjoy celery as part of your daily cuisine
Soups & Stews: Add it liberally to soups and
stews for a delicious depth of flavour. Check out my soup here for a
doubly delicious infusion of both celery AND celeriac:
Celeriac & Celery Creamy Coconut Soup
Juice it! There is no better way to reap the
incredible benefits of celery than to juice it. Not only does it
contains lots of juice providing lots of volume, it is a powerful way to
ensure a rapid infusion of it’s nutrients. Try juicing:
8 celery stalks, an apple, a knob of ginger and a small beetroot for
a super measure of health. I feel the benefits of celery almost
instantly when I juice; so juicing celery in a veggie drink is usually
the first thing I do when I am feeling low. Here’s another tasty juice
recipe benefiting from lots of celery:
Super Cleansing Green Drink
Add crunch to a salad: Chop and mix in with any salad for a tangy crunch. One of my favourite ways to enjoy celery is in my salad here:
Super-Healthy Raw-Slaw
Dip it: The easiest and quickest way to enjoy celery
is chopped into sticks to scoop up and enjoy your favourite dips. I
enjoy celery sticks with home-made pesto, hummus, nut butters and
tahini.
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By
Trinitys Kitchen
