What Are the Benefits of Celery Juice? A Doctor Explains

Wondering what all the hype is about celery juice? Get the details from a doctor before jumping on this trend.

If you’ve been on Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen celery juice in your feed at least once. Celery juice is popping up all over as a supposed cure-all for everything from chronic pain to digestive issues and skin conditions.

People are posting about their experiences with drinking 16 ounces of celery juice every morning on an empty stomach, claiming it has helped IBS, migraines, adrenal fatigue, asthma, sinusitis, and more. Should you try this trend? Hear what Parsley Health’s Dr. Safdieh has to say.

Q: Is drinking celery juice a safe trend to try?

Dr. Safdieh:

Drinking celery juice is certainly safe. There isn’t much scientific evidence to show that juicing is any better than eating whole foods, though, and in fact, it may be worse. When you eat whole fruits or vegetables, you’re getting the benefit of the fiber, which helps move food through your system and helps feed the good bacteria in your gut.

If you choose to drink celery juice, make sure you are getting adequate fiber in your diet in other ways. A healthy diet includes lots of variety, so I recommend incorporating whole, plant-based foods.

Q: Most people seem to be drinking celery juice on an empty stomach. Is there A benefit?

Dr. Safdieh:

Some people claim that by drinking your celery juice first thing in the morning, it will strengthen your digestion of foods you eat for the rest of the day. However, there isn’t scientific evidence to support this.

Q: Is there any scientific research showing celery juice can treat certain conditions?

Dr. Safdieh:

Celery has powerful antioxidant characteristics to remove free radicals in the body. Consuming antioxidant foods potentially decreases risks of getting cancer.

In addition to it’s anti-oxidative properties, celery can prevent cardiovascular diseases, jaundice, liver disease, urinary tract obstruction, gout, and rheumatic disorders. Celery can even reduce blood sugar levels, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Experimental studies show that celery has antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Celery seeds have even been used in the treatment of skin conditions including psoriasis, and respiratory diseases including asthma and bronchitis.

In one study on diabetic rats, treatment with an extract from celery seed modified their glucose and insulin levels, improved weight, and increased antioxidant enzyme activity. Another study found that celery leaf extract reduced blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, in animals with hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Despite these benefits, there have not been large human studies done using celery juice as a treatment for chronic conditions. If you think you may have a health condition, talk to your doctor before trying anything new.

Q: Are there nutrients in celery that could be beneficial?

Dr. Safdieh:

Fresh celery provides a source of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, manganese, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, and vitamin B6. It has a high percentage of water and electrolytes that can help prevent dehydration.

Celery is also a great source of fiber, but only in its whole form. Juicing strips celery of its fiber, so you lose out on that benefit.

It also contains compounds such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, apigenin, luteolin, tannin, saponin, and kaempferol, that are known for their antioxidant properties.

Final thoughts on celery juice

You can get all the antioxidant benefits of celery plus added fiber by blending up a smoothie. Try adding celery to one of these smoothie recipes:

by SARA ANGLE, Creative Content Manager

Sara is a content creator who has worked with outlets such as Outside Magazine, Well + Good, Healthline, and Men's Journal, and as a journalist at Shape and Self and publications in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Rome. She is also an ACE-certified personal trainer. She has a degree in communication with concentrated studies in journalism from Villanova University. Outside of office hours, you can usually find her taking a dance class, trying out the latest fitness craze, or teaching and performing synchronized swimming with The Brooklyn Peaches.

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Reposted from Parsley Health - Parsley Health is a high-tech modern medical practice combining nutrition, lifestyle, and cutting edge medical testing. Now in NYC, LA, and San Francisco. care@parsleyhealth.com.