By 
It’s easy to think of celery as a low-calorie diet food, but it’s so much more than that!
Celery is a powerful food packed with anti-inflammatory properties that offer a wealth of health benefits. And, celery juice is one of the quickest ways to get your dose!
Here, we’ll take a closer look at celery’s nutrition, the best time to drink it, and eight surprising health benefits.
Photo Credit: Get Healthy U
While seen by some as just a low-calorie “diet food,” celery actually comes with tons of powerful nutrients, too.
Celery is a great source of powerful antioxidants, which help protect cells, blood vessels, and organs. It’s also packed with essential nutrients and has vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, magnesium, iron, sodium, beta carotene, and flavonoids. Celery is a great source of phytonutrients, which can help reduce inflammation.
There are at least 12 kinds of antioxidant nutrients found in a single stalk of celery. Who would have thought?
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
It is recommended to drink celery juice right away in the morning on an empty stomach. After consuming 8 to 16 ounces of celery juice, it’s best to let it digest for at least 30 minutes.
After the digestion period, it’s important to eat a substantial breakfast in order to power through the day.
This nutrient-packed drink aids in gut health, and by consuming it at the start of your day, it allows your stomach to start out on the right foot.
If you are unable to consume your celery juice first thing in the morning, you can also drink it about 15 to 30 minutes before a meal or 30 to 60 minutes after eating a light snack. Simply put? You want to drink it with as little food in your stomach as possible to reap the most benefits.
Next, let’s look at the top eight health benefits of celery juice!
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Celery is filled with antioxidants. These have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Two antioxidants in particular, polyphenols and flavonoids, act as anti-inflammatory agents in the body.
The anti-inflammatory properties found in celery juice are said to help with inflammation issues such as acne, bloating, constipation, IBS, and more.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Many of us are all too familiar with the feeling of bloating, indigestion, acid reflux, and even constipation. These uncomfortable sensations are caused by low stomach acid.
This is where celery juice comes in! The natural sodium found in celery (yes, there is sodium in celery!) stimulates the production of stomach acid, and when consumed first thing in the morning, it helps aid in digestion for the remainder of the day.
Some even say celery juice works like a natural laxative by relaxing nerves that could have previously been damaged by an unhealthy lifestyle.
How we prep our stomach to digest foods throughout the day is extremely important in helping keep unpleasant symptoms at bay.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Celery is a natural diuretic containing high water content. This means it helps to flush out toxins and excess water from the body.
When celery stalks are turned into celery juice, most of the fiber is removed. This, in turn, allows the body to digest the food more easily while still receiving the nutrients and experiencing less bloating.
It Hydrates The Body
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The main component of celery (nearly 95%) is water, which, of course, means that celery juice is great for hydration.
And if you struggle to meet the recommended amount of water per day, celery juice is a great way to contribute to that number in a flavorful way.
By starting off the day by drinking celery juice, you’ll be well on your way to giving your body the hydration it needs to function at its best and reap the many benefits of sufficient water intake.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The specific combination of some of the health benefits we’ve already discussed actually leads to another amazing one.
By flushing out toxins, decreasing inflammation, and hydrating the body, celery juice can actually reduce breakouts as well as cystic acne, which is caused by inflammation. Score!
And if reducing acne doesn’t convince you to jump on the celery juice train, what about better hair?
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Who doesn’t want a head full of shiny, curly locks?!
As previously mentioned, celery juice contains a large amount of both H2O and vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a role in nourishing deep into the roots of our hair, making it strong and healthy from the core.
While vitamin A dives deep into the roots of the strands, water provides hydration for our scalp, curing the common problem of dandruff.
With both water and vitamin A working together in celery juice, the strands of our hair are being nourished and hydrated from deep within the core to the topical layer of the outermost part of our scalp.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Celery has certain nutrients that may help with overall brain health and mood.
It’s also a good source of anti-inflammatory compounds like apigenin and luteolin, which might reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Both of those have been linked to depression and anxiety.
In addition to that, celery juice contains choline, which is an essential nutrient. Some research has shown that low levels of choline might be linked to increased anxiety.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Like mentioned above, celery contains the plant compound luteolin. Luteolin can inhibit the release of inflammatory molecules into the brain. Less inflammation in our brains? Sounds pretty good to me!
Studies showed that luteolin specifically impacted the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and cognitive ability.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
To keep you from going crazy with calories (even when the saltiest cravings hit), my team and I rounded up the best weight-loss snack recipes that are super easy to throw together.
And when you don’t have time, or you’re on the go, we also made a list of our favorite healthy purchased snacks, too.
Photo Credit: Depositphotos
Whether you need an on-the-go breakfast, an energizing afternoon pick-me-up, or a refreshing beverage to cool down on a hot day, all are great reasons to whip up one of these highly-rated smoothies!
Smoothies are naturally packed with nutrients and a great source of fiber since you’re including whole fruits and/or vegetables.
Highest Rated Low-Calorie Smoothies
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
If you’ve wanted to begin yoga but don’t know where to start, have no fear! This yoga for beginners guide has everything you need to succeed.
Learn the different types and benefits of yoga, as well as guidance on how to get started and choose the practice that works best for you!
Comments