Celery is in many ways the Plain Jane of the vegetable world. While other vegetables are distinguished by their strong flavors and bright colors, celery sort of fades into the background. When was the last time you heard someone say their favorite vegetable was celery? But with all the health benefits it has to offer, it’s about time celery came into the limelight. Here are seven incredible health benefits, all contained within one stalk of celery.
1. It’s The Perfect Weight Loss Food
When you’re on a weight loss diet, hunger pangs soon become your constant companion. On a calorie-restrictive diet your body needs to get used to eating way less than before, a transition which is rarely ever easy. But celery makes a great low-calorie snack for when you’re feeling hungry. One stalk of celery has only 20 calories, plus it’s loaded with water and fiber. This means that not only will it keep your calorie-count low, but it will also keep you full for longer.
2. It’s Anti-Inflammatory
Celery contains polysaccharides and polyphenols, two compounds which reduce inflammation. Chronic inflammation shows up in diseases like rheumatism and arthritis, as well as skin conditions like acne and eczema. The compounds in celery suppress the production of inflammatory hormones. This reduces the severity of inflammatory diseases and brings your hormones back into a balanced state.
3. It Reduces Water Retention
A surprisingly large portion of our total body weight is actually just excessive water retention. If you don’t keep yourself properly hydrated, your body holds on to whatever it can get, instead of letting it out. Because celery is mostly water, it can hydrate your body and help you lose excess water weight. The water content in celery also makes it very effective at detoxifying your body by carrying impurities out of your system.
4. Improves Your Digestion
Eating celery improves your circulation and hydrates you. Both of these qualities make it a great vegetable to help your digestion. Our digestive organs need an adequate supply of blood to absorb nutrients from food. They also need to be properly hydrated or they can’t produce mucus and carry waste out of the body. Eating more celery could help you get rid of digestive problems and reduce post-meal bloating.
5. Helps You Work Out
While a healthy diet is essential for weight loss, a good workout routine is just as important. If you’re not used to working out though, you might feel extremely drained after a session. To counter this, eat celery stalks after a workout or drink it in a smoothie. Celery contains sodium and potassium, two minerals which can get lost after you sweat a lot. Electrolyte drinks are meant to replenish you with these lost minerals, but celery works just as well.
6. Keeps Your Liver Healthy
Our liver is our body’s main detoxifying organ, so it’s essential to keep it functioning well. If you’re loading your body with too many toxins or have a high-cholesterol diet, this could spell serious trouble for your liver. Studies have shown that celery can actually prevent fat buildup in the liver and increase production of beneficial liver enzymes. This helps your liver recover faster and start protecting you from toxins again.
7. Reduces Blood Pressure
It’s not just the stalks, celery seeds are equally beneficial. One study on rats found that after being given celery seed extracts, their blood pressure levels significantly reduced. High blood pressure is often caused due to constricted blood vessels. Compounds in celery seeds can work as a muscle relaxant, thus encouraging blood vessels to expand. This facilitates better blood circulation and brings down chronically high blood pressure levels.
