What’s The Deal With Celery Juice?

Is celery juicing just a wellness craze or is there some actual “meat” behind it?  The research on celery juice is very limited as compared to highly researched foods like berries and olive oil however there is some weight behind why we may want to incorporate it.  Anthony William, the author of Medical Medium preaches it to be a magical cure-all of sorts.  Is it the golden ticket of all veggies?! I wanted to dig deeper and try for myself..

Here’s what I found:

First off, it’s detox-supportive due to the rich content of vitamins, minerals and plant based antioxidants.  It’s a rich source of cleansing compounds including limonene, selinene, flavonoids and vitamins A and C.  

It may aid digestion– It has a slightly diuretic effect on the body and can therefore provide some debloating benefits.  It likely also supports digestive flow due to its high fiber content and liver detoxification compounds.

It can lower blood pressure– It contains an active compound called 3-n-butylphthalide (3 NB) that relaxes arterial walls and helps reduce blood pressure.  The fiber, magnesium and potassium it contains also are likely helpful at lowering blood pressure levels. Incorporate at least 4 stalks daily to reduce blood pressure levels.

It improves hydration– A rich source of highly absorbable sodium; it may help support electrolyte balance

Personally, I have experimented drinking it regularly myself and I have noticed that it seemed to be slightly debloating and skin clearing-possibly due to the antioxidant content.

What do I recommend?

Exercise caution when relying wholeheartedly on one vegetable group as a cure-all. Eating plenty of fruits and veggies (mainly non-starchy, brightly colored veggies) in whole-foods forms is always best as a rule of thumb. Do I think adding celery juice can hurt you?  No, I think it can only benefit but likely not to the vast degree that some are claiming. The research is still not strong and is minimal for the larger health claims being made. I personally like blending it vs. juicing to retain the fiber component. I recommend using a high powered blender and adding a large handful of organic celery stalks with 1-2 cups of filtered water. My trick is that I like to add in a few drops of monk fruit or liquid stevia-this makes it very tasty! Be sure to use organic celery as it is one of the veggies on the dirty dozen 2018 list.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871295/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07388551.2017.1312275?scroll=top&needAccess=truehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5228217/

http://www.brighterdayfoods.com/PDFDocs/9/9GAC92Q1JEMF8M12M80KXA339R8T00AC.PDF