You might think of celery stick munching as not very appetizing and I can understand that.
The thing is once you start a detox diet, celery takes on a whole new level of intrigue.
Not only is it crunchy but it is very versatile. I can be eaten raw, chopped and added to soup, or stir fry, pureed into smoothies and makes a great snack with a little guacamole or hummus.
(1) Cancer: Facts, Causes, Symptoms, and Research. Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology
(2) Isolation, purification, and identification of the main phenolic compounds from leaves of celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill./Pers.). PUBMED https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27862988
(3) Plant-derived flavone Apigenin: The small-molecule with promising activity against therapeutically resistant prostate cancer. PUBMED https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27930986
(4) Dietary apigenin reduces LPS-induced expression of miR-155 restoring immune balance during inflammation. PUBMED https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25641956
(5) The effect of hydro-alcoholic celery (Apiumgraveolens) leaf extract on cardiovascular parameters and lipid profile in an animal model of hypertension induced by fructose. PUBMED https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4469955/
(6) Apigenin has anti-atrophic gastritis and anti-gastric cancer progression effects in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils. PUBMED https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24374236/
(7) The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health? PUBMED https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/
Health Benefits
The health benefits of celery are many, and mostly due to the seven main phenolic compounds obtained from celery leaves including luteolin and apigenin. (2)
Alkalising
Because celery has a positive effect on reducing the acid load in the body, (in other words it is alkalising) it can help reduce acid-related conditions, such as kidney stones and arthritis. This gives credence to the trend of using celery juice to help detox the body. (7)
Cancer
Researchers believe that the flavonoid called luteolin from Celery may possess anti-cancer properties. One study published in Current Cancer Drug Targets said that “Recent epidemiological studies have attributed a cancer prevention property to luteolin.” (1)
Another study shows Apigenin has a synergistic effect in combinatorial therapy and induces apoptosis even in prostate cancer models resistant to conventional therapeutic regimens. (3)
Anti-inflammatory
Results of one study demonstrated that apigenin and apigenin-rich diets exert effective anti-inflammatory activity in vivo by restoring immune balance. (4)
In another 2013 study, it found that the apigenin, an enzyme found in celery, could help combat inflammation in the stomach. (6)
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Celery leaf extract reduced blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL in an animal model of fructose-induced hypertension. In conclusion, celery leaf extract with its blood pressure and lipid-lowering effects can be considered as an antihypertensive agent in the chronic treatment of elevated blood pressure. (5)
Conclusion
It’s incredible how simple everyday foods can be powerfully medicinal, especially when consumed long-term. Buying a bunch of celery every week or two may not be the difference between health and imbalance, but when combined with other healthy vegetable foods regularly the benefits are immeasurable.
No wonder we have always been told to eat our vegetables.
You can find Celery in these recipes:
