The humble salad ingredient Celery is probably one of the most underrated vegetables, when it comes to health benefits.
Loved for its unique crunchy texture and mild flavor, celery is enriched with vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber that can contribute to a healthier day-to-day life. This marshland plant comes from the family of carrots and parsley. In this article, we will explore diverse health benefits of celery and unique recipes.
Consuming 80g of raw celery can provide 6 kcal energy, 0.4g protein, 0.2g fat, 0.7g carbohydrate, 1.2g fibre, 256mg potassium, along with other essential nutrients. Celery is 95.43% water by weight.
Beyond its low-calorie property, celery provides a wide range of benefits starting from improved digestion to reduced inflammation.
Green Snack for Heart Health: Despite high water content, vitamins and minerals like potassium and calcium improve heart health. Abundance of Vitamin K and folate promote formation of blood cells. Flavonoids obtained from celery have also been beneficial for cardiovascular health, as per recent reports. Excess dietary fiber provides additional support to heart health.
Digest with Ease: Celery’s high amount of soluble and insoluble fiber promote digestive function. As per recent preclinical study, the phytonutrient content of celery help in protecting digestive mucosa, preventing gastric ulcers formation.
Crunch away Inflammation: Phytonutrients obtained from celery suppress chronic inflammation like arthritis. Some recent preclinical studies have confirmed that too.
Fuel Your Mind: Cognitive decline is common with age and depression. As per recent study, celery provides neuroprotective benefits to prevent or cure dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In younger age, celery extract is believed to sharpen brain functions too.
Stay Sweetly Balanced: Low glycaemic index (GI) along with high fibre content help celery manage controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. It is also helpful in preventing sudden sugar spikes too.
Celery's Weight-loss Magic: Low calorie alongwith high water and fiber provide the required boost for your weight-loss program. Sometimes, celery is marketed as ‘negative-calorie’ food, which is not true. The fiber content help making you fill full temporarily, but not throughout the day.
Celery has a mild earthy and slightly peppery taste. From sauteed celery to warm soup, there are numerous varieties. Celery stir-fry is another tasty snack option irrespective of age. Celery can be consumed with pasta. For morning and evening snack, you can prepare quick carrot and celery stir-fry or blending with tomato to make tomato celery soup.
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Celery salad with dry fruits like dates, almonds and parmesan can satisfy your cravings in this winter. Add cucumber with celery for a healthy evening snack. The creamy, hot and thick celery soup is another perfect recipe for winter days. Looking for healthy and tasty juice in the morning? Prepare celery juice by mixing pineapple, cucumber and lemon. Some people discard the leaves, but, leaves are also good in taste.
Celery contains high levels of oxalates, which might not be suitable for patients suffering from kidney stones or kidney-related ailments. Also, if you have chronic Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), consult with an expert before including it in your diet. The mannitol present in the celery interfere with the healthy gut bacteria.
