Health Benefits of Celery Juice

It seems like celery juice is all over social media right now. Every influencer is drinking it. A lot of this is thanks to the Medical Medium and his books, specifically his entire book dedicated to celery! Sure, celery has been used for years as popular diet food. After all, it’s crunchy, green, and practically calorie-free. But celery isn’t exactly the most glamorous veggie on the block. So why is it at the top of the health charts right now? And why juice?

What’s Good about Celery Juice?

Celery used to be thought of as nutrient-free. It was a good way of filling your stomach without adding calories. But the latest research shows that celery is actually a superfood that has a unique nutrient profile. That means celery can offer a range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that is like no other fruit or vegetable.

For a start, did you know that celery is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamins pyridoxine (B6), niacin (B3), and riboflavin (B2), potassium, folate, manganese, and calcium? It is also chock-full of antioxidants, including caffeic acid, ferulic acid, apigenin, luteolin, tannin, saponin, p-coumaric acid, and kaempferol.

Celery contains high levels of water and electrolytes – excellent to help you keep hydrated when you’re playing sports or during a hot summer. And of course, celery is noted for its high fiber content.

You’ll probably notice that celery juice has quite a salty taste. And it does have high levels of sodium but in the form of mineral salts, what celery juice guru Anthony William describes as ‘cluster salts. These are essential liver supports for detoxing safely or kickstarting your detox regime if you’ve been living it up a bit.

If you’re concerned about salt, rest easy because celery also has high levels of potassium, which helps to balance out salts in the body, safely, and naturally.

What Can Celery Juice Help With?

Celery juice can rightly be seen as the shrinking violet of nutrition. In fact, celery juice is so jam-packed with nutrients it’s like drinking a powerful little love bomb every morning. Sixteen ounces of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant goodness straight to your waiting cells.

You don’t tend to hear much about vitamin K, but it is just as crucial for your bone health like vitamin D and calcium. In fact, it works with vitamin D to strengthen bones and prevent fractures. Studies have shown that vitamin K is also good for promoting vascular health in patients with kidney failure.

Celery’s concentration of antioxidants is important to prevent inflammation and reduce oxidative stress in your body’s cells. It’s essential for reducing the body’s free radicals that can destroy or mutate cells.

Celery’s high levels of fiber and phytonutrients are great for your gut health, promoting a healthy gut biome, as well as regularity in bowel habits, and reducing bloating. Celery contains natural diuretics that help support your liver and kidneys in detoxing your system.

Studies have shown that celery has anti-inflammatory properties important for reducing your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, immune system disorders, and a range of chronic illnesses.

Celery is excellent for weight loss. As mentioned, it’s full of fiber and water, low in calories and carbs, but proves a balance of electrolytes and other nutrients. If you are on a detoxing regime, including celery juice will ensure you won’t feel depleted.

Can’t I Just Eat Celery?

Now you might be wondering if you can’t just eat some celery and be done with it. Does it have to be juiced to get the benefit?

Of course, eating whole celery is good for you, and un-juiced celery has precisely the same vitamin and mineral profile as juiced. But you would have to eat massive amounts of celery stalks to get the same amount of condensed goodness as one sixteen-ounce juice. And that’s a lot of chewing.

And of course, drinking celery juice doesn’t mean you can’t eat straight celery as well!

How Do I Make Celery Juice?

Celery juice is one of the easiest juices to prepare. You just need a bunch of celery and some water. Run it through your juicer or pop it into your Nutribullet or blender and buzz until it’s smooth. You can drink it straight up or add a little zhoozh by spritzing some lemon or lime juice. You can even add your favorite fruit or veggie accompaniments to it, anything from apple to wheatgrass, pineapple to orange.

If you use a regular juicer, this fiber will be separated out from the juice, so make sure not to lose out on this benefit by adding the fiber back into your juice or saving it to add to soups and casseroles. If you juice with a blender or Nutribullet, the fiber won’t be lost but dispersed through the juice.

Celery juice on its own can taste a little strong, a bit salty, so adding your favorite flavorsome treats can make it more palatable. Make yourself a powerful detox smoothie by adding in your favorite citrus, ginger, and turmeric.

Experts say it’s best to take your celery juice on an empty stomach, so drinking your daily dose of celery superpower first thing in the morning is probably the easiest way to get all the benefits and start your day off to a zinging start.

Be sure to drink your celery juice immediately as it will soon start to oxidize and lose nutrients if made ahead.

Is Drinking Celery Juice Safe for Everyone?

Celery juice is generally safe for everyone to drink, young and old. Unless you have a celery allergy, in which case you should steer clear of any vegetable from the celery family.

If you have been put on a low sodium diet, or you are taking medication for high blood pressure, you should consult your health practitioner before adding celery juice to your regular dietary routine.

Be sure to get celery that’s certified organic as it is one of the so-called ‘dirty dozen’ of produce likely to contain pesticides. In 2018 scientists found that celery, alongside other healthy favorites like strawberries, grapes, nectarines, tomatoes, spinach, and bell peppers, ranked highest for potential pesticide contamination by conventional farming methods. It’s safer to be sure that your fresh produce is certified organic and free from pesticides and insecticides.

Conclusion

Celery juice has rightly become a popular way to add a concentrated package of key nutrients to your daily diet. It is an economical and tasty way to help your body deal with the assaults of twenty-first-century living. Try a celery juice first thing in the morning and notice the health benefits straightaway. If you want to learn the deeper details of the health benefits of drinking celery juice, I recommend reading this book!