There are people who hate celery, its specific fragrance and taste. But many people like chewing on its crunchy sticks believing that they assist in calorie burning (according to a common myth). In many world’s cuisines celery, its root, seeds and leaves, are used as a spice for such dishes as soups, stews, salads and even bakery. This plant originated from Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East, where it has been used as a decorative and edible plant for more than 400 years. In the nineteenth century, celery was planted and harvested in the US for the first time.
Celery is a biennial plant which grows up to 12-16 inches height and belongs to the same biological family as parsley, carrots, fennel and other well-known plants. Celery has a white flashy root, refreshing crunchy stalks, leaves and fruits (seeds), which are used as foods, culinary spice or garnish to improve the taste of various dishes, as well as natural remedies for many common diseases. This plant has been popular in many ancient and modern cultures, starting from Indian and ending with Creole. For example, centuries ago, in Ancient Greece and Rome celery plant had certain religious meanings and was associated with bad luck and Underworld.
100 g portion of celery has 16-18 kcal, 92 g water, 1.9 g dietary fiber, 1.5 g insoluble fiber, 3 g carbohydrate, including 1.2 g sugar, 0.7 g protein and 0.17 g lipids. At that, celery has quite high nutritional value since it contains a great number of useful microelements and nutrients, including zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, sodium, manganese, copper, molybdenum, Vitamins A, E, PP, K, riboflavin, tryptophan, niacin, thiamin, valine, phenylalanine, aspartate, glutamate and other amino acids, terpenes, biotin, pantothenic acid, and a lot more of useful natural constituents. Some chemical compounds containing in celery are very important: for example, such components as coumarines, which assist in lowering the amounts of free radicals from damaged cells and this way lowering the risks of having cancer.
Celery is a natural remedy with a great number of powerful therapeutic properties. It can hep to relieve many problems and ailments connected with digestion and urinary bladder, as well as chronic arthritis pains. Celery assists greatly in weight management and detoxification of the body, helping to stimulate urine production and eliminate unnecessary fluids and toxins from the tissues. That is why celery seeds have been used by many herbalists as a very effective and safe diuretic. Also, celery contains pthalides (this component causes characteristic odor and taste of celery), which assist in relaxing muscle tension and can stimulate blood vessel dilation.
In Chinese folk medicine celery has been used as an effective natural remedy for hypertenstion (high blood pressure). Modern time researches confirmed that this plant contains the elements (namely, high amounts of sodium and 3-n-butyl phthalide), which can normalize blood pressure. Celery is considered to be a great source of Vitamin C, that is important for our immune system, and can assist in lowering the risks of having a cold or a flu. Celery juice can be used for treating wounds and bruises. Finally, celery can boost sexual desire and play a role of an afrodisiac. This miraculous property of celery was discovered by the ancient Romans, that is why many women in those times used to present wreaths of wild celery leaves to their lovers. Why don’t you also try giving such a romantic present to your other half?
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
