Celery: A New Superfood?

If you were to choose one vegetable to eat to bring down your high blood pressure, that vegetable should be celery.

Asians have used celery to lower blood pressure for centuries. Scientists speculate that it is celery’s potassium content that helps with heart rate and blood pressure. However, Celery also contains pthalide, which relaxes muscles around the arteries, allowing blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.

Celery’s nutritional profile is impressive. It contains many antioxidants, such as vitamin C, manganese, beta carotene and vitamin A, but it also harbors a host of phytonutrients — in the form of phenolic antioxidants — that pack a punch against inflammation.

No longer can celery be considered just a crunchy, low-cal diet food; this relative of parsley and fennel is coming into its own as a nutritional blockbuster. It’s an excellent source of fiber, with a good deal of vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, folic acid and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and dietary sodium, which is well balanced by the potassium.

Celery is one of the foods full of natural COX-2 inhibitors, which have a strong effect on inflammation; and it contains apigenin, a natural painkilling component. Eating celery, then, may lessen any bouts of bursitis or arthritis afflicting you. Celery has diuretic action and may be helpful in bladder infections and urinary tract infections.

Besides celery’s potassium content, it also has high levels of a phytonutrient compound called coumarin, which aids in toning the vascular system. Coumarins are also potentially effective combatants against cancer. Acetylenics in celery are another anti-cancer compound, which, along with the coumarins, appear to battle free radicals that damage cells. Celery’s vitamins and minerals push the body’s blood pH into alkaline, another potentially important factor in the fight against cancer.

Consider, then, eating a couple of stalks of celery a day or adding a cup or two of celery seed tea to boost your immunity, alkalize your blood pH and allow celery’s vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients go to work aiding your body.

Celery is one of the aromatic vegetables — with carrots and onions – which adds deep flavor to soups and stews. Raw celery’s crunch in salads is also welcome.

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