Celery Juice: Benefits and Contraindications

Since celery is rich in oxalates, you shouldn't consume it in large quantities, especially if you suffer from inflammation or other bladder conditions. Read on to discover the benefits and contraindications of celery juice!

Written and verified by the nutritionist Eliana Delgado Villanueva.

Last update: 27 May, 2022

Have you incorporated celery juice into your diet? Are you sure this is the best way to consume this vegetable? In this article, we’ll tell you more about the properties, benefits, and contraindications of this vegetable juice.

The main properties of celery

Celery is a plant that belongs to the Apiaceae family. Its scientific name is Apium graveolens. Humans have known of the healing properties of this plant since ancient times. In fact, historians say Charlemagne once issued an order urging people to harvest certain herbs and plants in his fields, including celery.

Celery is an ideal plant for the kidneys, as it stimulates these organs to eliminate the waste that your body doesn’t need. Thus, it also helps treat fluid retention and cellulite.

It’s even able to dilute uric acid that affects the joints, acting as an anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it’s considered a suitable food in rheumatism and gout diets.

Celery is a highly-recommended food because it contains important antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

The benefits of celery

1. It’s a depurative

Since it contains potassium, celery can stimulate urine production and help prevent fluid retention. It also helps to eliminate toxins. Celery juice is ideal in this sense, especially when consumed on an empty stomach.

2. Celery is a natural laxative

It helps relieve constipation naturally, especially when it occurs in a timely manner due to nerves or stress. This is because it’s rich in dietary fiber.

3. Celery aids digestion

Thanks to its mineral content, this vegetable helps neutralize stomach acid, while helping treat stomach ulcers and indigestion.

4. It helps eliminate kidney stones and gallstones

The plant has antispasmodic compounds, which help eliminate the toxins that may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Celery juice also helps eliminate kidney stones by increasing urine production, which facilitates the process of stone removal.

You should also read: Celery Seeds: A Natural Tea for High Blood Pressure

Is it good to consume celery juice?

Many people say that celery juice is almost miraculous. In addition, actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow have published stories about “its powerful healing properties.”

However, is it really beneficial?

It’s not surprising that anything mentioned by an influential person with many followers attracts attention. After all, celery certainly has health benefits. This vegetable contains beneficial flavonoids that may reduce brain inflammation or age-related memory impairment. This vegetable also contains a lot of fiber, vitamins C and K, and potassium. In addition, it’s a very low-calorie snack. A 12-centimeter stalk contains only three calories. A cup of chopped celery contains only 20 calories.

However, this may change if you transform it into juice.

When you concentrate a vegetable or fruit, it’s richer in sugar, carbohydrates, and calories. A cup of celery juice contains 42 calories. For this reason, it’s much better to consume celery as a snack. It’s crunchy, lower in calories, and will satiate you. In fact, it’s generally recommended for people who are trying to lose weight.

Things to bear in mind when it comes to celery juice

Although drinking celery juice can benefit your health, it probably isn’t a miracle cure. We recommend consuming celery as part of a balanced and inclusive diet. However, you have to watch out for food trends backed by celebrities.

Overall, just because a celebrity promotes a food or drink for some particular reason, it doesn’t mean it’s backed by science. You should know that no magic food or drink can totally transform your health or cure a disease.

Contraindications of celery juice

• Since celery is rich in oxalates, you shouldn’t consume it in large quantities, especially if you suffer from inflammation or other bladder conditions. In addition, you must remember that this substance hinders the absorption of calcium.
• Moreover, given the fact that it’s an emmenagogue and contains apiin (a chemical compound that’s also found in garlic and parsley), it isn’t recommended for pregnant women, since it can cause a miscarriage in large quantities.
• Finally, if you use it as a diuretic, we recommend increasing your consumption of potassium (bananas, vegetables, etc.) because diuretics can deplete your body of these minerals.

In conclusion, there’s no doubt that celery can improve your health. However, you shouldn’t believe that celery juice is a magic potion that will help you shed those extra pounds.