Although not favorite, celery is one of the healthiest vegetables. Its taste may be bland for your preferences but you can combine it with other vegetables to make it more pleasant for eating.
Here are 11 reasons why it’s necessary for you to start including celery in your diet more often.
1. Lose weight
If you are desperate to lose some weight, celery is the right food to consume to achieve this goal. One large stalk of celery contains only 10 calories. So next time when you are preparing your salad don’t forget to chop some celery in it.
2. Helps digestion
Celery is packed with insoluble fibers which are good in improving digestion. It is often used as a diuretic because it has some cleansing properties. Eat some celery before going to bed to flush out toxins from your body.
Note: Don’t consume celery if you suffer from diarrhea.
3. Reduces inflammation
Celery is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which are good in reducing inflammation and often joint pain. If you suffer from asthma, celery is a must in your diet. Celery is also very effective in cleaning acne due to the salicylic acid concentration which removes clog.
4. Regulates alkaline balance
Consume more celery to prevent your body from becoming too acidic and provide balanced pH levels.
5. Reduces high blood pressure
Reduce high blood pressure by consuming more celery. Celery is rich in active compounds known as phthalides which improve circulation by at least 14% and lower stress hormones in the blood, which allows the blood to flow more freely.
6. Treats bad cholesterol
Bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol leads to higher blood pressure. The ingredient butylphthalide gives its unique taste and aroma, but also reduces cholesterol. Only two stalks of celery a day can reduce LDL by up to 7 %.
7. Improves eye health
One stalk of celery contains up to 10% of daily vitamin C. And vitamin C is known to protect the eyes and improves vision degeneration that comes as we are getting older. Celery also contains high concentrations of polyphenol phytonutrients which are also good for your eyes.
8. Reduces stress
Celery is rich in magnesium as well. Magnesium relieves stress and calms you down. If you’ve got problems with falling asleep, eat some celery before going to bed and finally fall asleep faster.
9. Fights cancer
Rich in flavonoids and luteolin, celery is a strong soldier when it comes to fighting cancer, especially pancreas and colorectal cancer. Formation of breast cancer cells can also be put on hold, if you consume celery every night.
10. Improves your sex life
Androstenone and androstenol are two sex pheromones which are released while chewing some celery. Celery boosts the arousal levels and is good in improving your sex life.
11. It contains useful salt
Celery contains sodium which is not the same thing as table salt. The salt that celery contains is organic, natural and useful for your health.
How to consume celery?
You can consume celery either fresh or cooked, but if you decide to cook it try steaming it because that way it will preserve up to 99% of the nutrients while keeping the original flavor.
If you are consuming fresh celery, chop it just before you eat it because that way it won’t lose some of its nutrients by storing in the fridge.
An interesting fact about celery is that the darker the color, the stronger the taste. But still, it shouldn’t be rotten and mushy.