Recently, hundreds of articles have popped on the internet and in the media, claiming celery juice can cure all manner of diseases. In this article we’ll take a closer look at evidence-based information about celery and why we need to be selective when reading articles about health.
The rise of superfoods
We live in an information heavy world. At the touch of a button or via a voice activated command, answers to questions can be at your fingertips in seconds. From nothing, health trends can emerge and swiftly go viral.
Over the years certain so called superfoods have become popular – goji berries, for example, or chia seeds. This is because these foods are a concentrated source of plant compounds, known to be beneficial to our health, such as antioxidants like zeaxanthin, which plays a role in eye health.
The term ‘superfood’ can be applied to just about any food – it’s really no more than a marketing term, designed to influence our buying habits. There’s no real definition of a superfood other than something containing a good level of health giving nutrients.
Is celery a superfood?
The celery juice health trend has elevated the humble celery plant to superfood status.
Nutritionists recognise all vegetables contain a wide array of different plant nutrients which give various health benefits. In the past, celery has been regarded as just that – a beneficial food choice, without being especially outstanding.
Celery has been cultivated as a food source for thousands of years, and the first reference to celery in English dates back from the 1600s. It’s a flowering plant belonging to the carrot family which grows well in marshy areas. Its seeds are used as a spice flavouring and often added to salt, as well as used in herbal medicine, including Ayurveda.
Let’s find out why celery has suddenly become so popular.
Celery juice and health
Celery’s fame as an apparent panacea for all ills stems from an internet influencer and author who advocates drinking celery juice every morning and describes the health benefits experienced as a result. The idea caught on and soon thousands of followers were trying celery juice for themselves. Many of them felt much better after drinking 16 fluid ounces – one juiced bunch – of celery on an empty stomach every day.
Celery has become so popular as a result of this trend that prices have soared by as much as 250% as demand has struggled to keep up with supply.
Several high profile celebrities have reported amazing health improvements after regularly drinking celery juice. This has led to impressive health claims for the juice, ranging from improvement in digestive issues, liver support to fighting infection, and improvements in many and diverse chronic illnesses.
Is this sufficient evidence that celery juice can deliver miraculous health benefits for us all?
Unfortunately what tends to happen is articles travel around the internet like gossip. The message is repeated and repeated until it really does seem like the truth. A Google search will bring up so many responses relating to the celery juice cure we feel it must be true.
A wealth of anecdotal information may persuade you celery possesses incredible health properties, but without scientific studies these will remain just that – anecdotes.
So how do we know if what we are reading on the internet is true or simply a rumour?
The importance of evidence-based information
Here at Amchara when bringing you the latest health information we do a lot of delving about behind the scenes to make sure our articles contain factual, up-to-date information. In order to do this we look at the research behind any claims made about nutrients, food or lifestyle choices with regard to their health effects.
You may have noticed many Amchara blog posts and articles are listed as ‘evidence-based’. It’s a good idea to check any health article you are reading carries this label and provides references which can be easily viewed – this makes the information likely to be more credible and based on research.
We always look at original research projects and summarise them, while providing you with the references should you want to go and have a look at the studies for yourself and learn more.
We try to make sure there is more than just one study supporting a specific point we’re making by looking at review articles, which bring together all the available research on a particular subject.
It’s always far more relevant to consider studies on humans rather than on animals, because these more accurately reflect how a human body functions. Studies on cells in test-tubes make a good starting point, but it’s always useful to look at the results of studies carried out on a wide group of people rather than individual cells.
Lastly we make sure the research we’re looking at is recent, because science is progressing all the time, and we note whether research has been funded by an organisation which might have a vested interest in obtaining a specific result.
Science and celery
Despite the bold claims for celery juice, science has not looked at whether drinking juiced celery has beneficial effects. Instead, research carried out so far has centred on the active ingredients contained in celery, and has looked at these in isolation.
This is common in the field of nutritional research, not least because whole foods can’t be patented and used as remedies, whereas extracts of foods sometimes can be, providing a commercial incentive to invest in costly experiments.
Let’s have a look at what science has discovered so far about the substances contained in celery.
- Nutritional value of celery
Celery juice contains sodium as well as potassium. Naturopaths believe the balance of sodium and potassium in the body is crucial, and we should be consuming more potassium than sodium. For many of us, the ratio is the other way around. Celery contains over twice the amount of potassium to sodium.
According to the USA Food and Drug Administration, one stalk of celery contains 5% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 7.5% of the RDA of vitamin C and 2% of the RDA of calcium, along with folate.
Celery also contains significant amounts of vitamin K (1). In fact, one cup or two sticks of celery contains one third of the RDA of this vitamin. One bunch of celery, the amount needed to make 16 fluid ounces of juice, contains around 8-9 stalks, so the health benefits of the juice begin to mount up simply because of the quantity consumed. Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, bone metabolism and regulation of blood calcium levels.
Of course if you’re consuming a lot of concentrated celery, you’ll be taking in a good level of all these vitamins and minerals. If someone is deficient in any of these nutrients or has a heightened need for them because of lifestyle factors or health issues, it’s entirely possible they will feel better after drinking daily glasses of celery juice over a number of weeks.
- Antioxidants in celery
Celery contains a whole host of different plant compounds including antioxidants, which have been investigated in the laboratory for their effects on health.
Luteolin is an antioxidant known as a flavonoid, a type of plant pigment. It’s contained in celery and has been found to decrease inflammation, possibly by inhibiting an enzyme which triggers the inflammatory process (2). Research has also found luteolin can reduce allergies as well as support the functioning of nerve cells.
Some studies have looked at celery specifically with regard to tumour formation and found apigenin, another flavonoid found in celery, had an antiproliferative effect on human pancreatic cancer cells in a test-tube (3). It appears to play a role in cell signalling and is believed to inactivate several signals and pathways essential for cancer cells to survive (4).
It’s also thought apigenin can lower inflammation and may reduce arthritis symptoms.
Some studies have looked at extracts of celery rather than the active ingredients. One study showed celery extract was able to reduce the levels of so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol – in rats at least (5).
Other research has shown a reduced incidence of gastric ulcers with celery extract (6).
Many of these studies have either involved animals, or human cells in a test-tube, however future research on human populations would be interesting to see.
Science is evolving
Celery contains a range of plant chemicals, and at the moment we don’t know enough about their effects, particularly in combination with each other, to make assumptions about the properties of celery juice.
We can say for certain many people drinking celery juice reported feeling better. What we don’t know is if it was really anything to do with the juice. Psychologically, if you’re feeling unwell and decide to embark on a drastic change of diet – in this case drinking celery juice every day before breakfast – you may well improve other areas of your nutrition too, for example also giving up coffee or alcohol, or making healthy food choices later in the day. So it may be a combination of a number of changes contributing to the improvement.
However, the information we do have confirms celery has a deserved place in healthy food choices. Maybe in the future we’ll be able to bring you some exciting, evidence-based news about celery juice.
In the meantime, why not try it for yourself as part of a delicious juice to support your daily nutrition or as part of a detox juice cleanse? Just make sure it’s organic to avoid drinking pesticide residues.
Takeaway
Celery juice is an excellent addition to a cleansing juice, but at present there is insufficient research to say whether or not it’s a magic bullet.
Fad diet crazes come and go, but lasting positive health effects are best achieved by paying attention to food choices in a sustainable way, rather than putting your faith in a single miracle cure, however attractive and tempting it may seem. Your body needs all sorts of different nutrients to maintain good health.
Overall, healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits are the way forward for optimal health, however if you want to add a glass a celery juice to your day this may deliver health benefits, as many other people have reported.
Here at Amchara we believe in empowering people to take charge of their health. Providing actionable, evidence-based information on health, nutrition and lifestyle topics is one way to achieve this.
If you would like to explore further how to continue your journey to optimal health through nutritional and lifestyle interventions, a consultation with an Amchara Personalised Health practitioner will guide you every step of the way.
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