The taste of celery is unmistakable. Its crispy tender stems will not go unnoticed in the salad, no matter how many ingredients it includes. And it is precisely the essential oil responsible for that flavor, which gives it most of its salutary properties.
Properties and benefits of celery
This vegetable can be found by different names: panul, common celery, garden celery, aquatic celery, pore celery, wild celery.
From a nutritional point of view, celery does not present a striking composition. It is quite low in carbohydrates (1.9%) and protein (0.75%) and practically lacks fat.
But the active substances it contains make its consumption recommended in the following cases:
· edema (fluid retention)
· kidney stones
· increased uric acid
· arthritis
· high urea
Thanks to the remarkable diuretic effect of the oil present in celery. A dilation of the kidney arteries is achieved, with the consequent increase in the volume of urine and the elimination of waste substances, such as urea and uric acid.
Benefits of using celery in our diet
The health benefits of celery can include a number of uses.
· fight inflammation
· support good digestion
· expel toxins
· accelerate weight loss
· lower cholesterol
· protect the liver
· boost the immune system
· regulate blood pressure levels
· Treat insomnia
· improve the appearance of the skin
· reduce arthritis pain
· support heart health
Reduce acidity
Due to its richness in alkaline-reacting mineral salts, celery behaves like a true alkaline, capable of neutralizing excess acid in the body.
A diet rich in meats and foods of animal origin produces excess acidity in the blood, which has multiple negative effects on health, such as: increased calcium losses, urinary stone formation and fluid retention, among others.
Celery, especially if it is taken in the form of a broth, has an alkalizing and remineralizing action similar to that of onion. It neutralizes excess acidity in the blood, and facilitates the urinary elimination of metabolic acids.
Treat hypertension
Celery contains a lot of sodium, which makes it useful for making celery salt. Despite this, celery has a hypotensive effect due to the vasodilator effect of its essential oil and a substance called 3-butylptalide, as well as its diuretic action. Its consumption is therefore suitable for hypertensive people.
Lower cholesterol
At the University of Singapore, an interesting experiment has been carried out to demonstrate how celery is capable of reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood.
Two groups of laboratory guinea pigs were fed a very high-fat diet for two weeks.
A few tablespoons of celery juice were added to the daily ration for the guinea pigs in one of the two groups. After eight weeks, these animals had significantly lower cholesterol levels than the guinea pigs that had not eaten celery.
Lowers blood sugar levels
It contains small amounts of glucoquine, a substance that acts similar to insulin, which lowers the level of sugar in the blood. Thus, despite the fact that celery contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates, it is very suitable for consumption in case of diabetes.
Treat psoriasis
Celery contains psoralens, substances that can produce, in predisposed people, a sensitization of the skin to sunlight.
These same substances exert a protective effect on the skin in case of psoriasis; Difficult to treat disease, characterized by the appearance of red, scaly patches on the skin.
If you want to try its benefits, the consumption of 4 stalks of fresh celery is recommended, and you can add them to different healthy dishes.
In healthy individuals, blood glucose levels are carefully maintained in a narrow range secondary to a complex interplay between several hormones, which act on biochemical reactions such as glycolysis and glycogenolysis. Therefore, variation of blood glucose is often a manifestation of illness, as in the occurrence of hypoglycemia in liver failure.