Celery Juice Testimonials and Proven Benefits

This article was written by Heidi Moretti and Kelly Walsh. It originally appeared on ThyroidNutritionEducators.com a website dedicated to educating health practitioners about thyroid nutrition. You can check out this and other articles HERE. 

Green juice and juicing have been a popular health craze, but we have not seen anything like the global celery juice movement. It seems that celery juice helps everything from weight loss to thyroid health. The shared experiences online have been interesting, but we wanted to put out an article that showed the research and some of our own testimonials of what happened when we drank celery juice.

Celery juice testimonials are impactful because celery is harmless and has a lot of potential for health benefits. Here are testimonials from two health professionals, the history of celery, and the science that supports celery juice benefits.

Celery (Apium graveolens) history is vibrant. "He now has need of nothing but celery” meant that some unfortunate person was about to die, according to the ancient Greeks. The Greeks also gave celery to their prized athletes. The famous Grecian, Hippocrates, described celery as a nerve-rebuilder. He was likely on point and keenly astute about this matter as you will soon find out.

 Kelly’s Celery Juice Testimonial

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism three years ago. After my diagnosis, I tried the elimination diet and food testing to see if the food was to blame. The food testing results pointed to food sensitivities to gluten, soy, corn, and rice.

As a patient, my goal was to eliminate my food triggers and explore a holistic regimen free of medications. However, I was advised by my endocrinologist to take 50 mcg of levothyroxine instead.

To be honest, I never felt comfortable with that decision. On the other hand, I opted to follow the advice in hopes that it would relieve my symptoms of hair loss (especially my eyebrows) unexplained fatigue, weight gain, and constipation. Some of my symptoms did resolve themselves but I not convinced it was the medicine. I believed it was drinking fresh celery juice.

Yes, celery juice! I jumped onto the celery juice craze by reading books by The Medical Medium, Anthony William. According to his book, celery juice can starve pathogens associated with thyroiditis and other autoimmune conditions.

I was both excited and regretful that such a simple organic solution to my problem had been so easily accessible to me, yet I was unaware. Celery juice has this unique ability to break down pathogen’s cell membranes by destroying and killing the virus in Epstein-Barr (also known as human herpesvirus), HHV-6, Streptococcus, and shingles.

I started drinking the recommended 16 ounces of straight celery juice first thing every morning. You want to consume it on an empty stomach then have a healthy breakfast after a half hour. 

Of all the benefits of juicing celery what I found to be the most useful was the decreased stomach bloating.

Like the benefits of lemon water, celery is high in magnesium, sodium, potassium that play an important role in keeping you hydrated after a night’s sleep.

Currently, there is no significant clinical research on the benefits of the drink celery juice in human digestion-yet. But studies using rodents suggest the celery can protect the stomach from ulcers and the progression of gastric cancers. 

Other benefits of celery juice are the reduction of inflammation. Inflammation can present itself in joint pain, rashes, mucus build-up, coughing, or gut issues. Celery contains flavonoids called apigenin and quercetin, which are compounds found in a variety of inflammatory herbs and spices.

Also, the powerful properties of sodium work together to eliminate toxins from the body, including the gut. In my case, it helped with my asthma to reduce coughing and wheezing when exercising. Celery juice works to reduce inflammation, which heals your body from the inside.

The last benefit that really makes me juice every day is normal bowel movements. Sorry for the TMI but this is a game changer!

When drinking celery juice, it acts like a natural detox which will kill off unproductive bacteria in the gut and help the liver function more efficiently. I would highly recommend trying celery juice or just investing in the Medical Mediums books.

Anthony Williams is not a doctor, but his research has found celery juice can destroy the viruses like Epstein-Barr, Strep, shingles. I have noticed some other changes as well, but I will let you discover yourself!

Heidi’s Celery Juice Testimonial

I have used celery juice for years too but in a different way. I use two stalks of celery in each and every smoothie I make. Hit blend, then you have celery juice! This way, the fiber in celery is retained. I usually blend it all up with other healthy vegetables.

I make organic celery juice instead of conventional because celery often comes up on The Dirty Dozen list for chemicals and pesticides.

Why? Celery has been used for thousands of years for medicine and I’m the first to try things that our ancestors used. The wisdom of our ancestors needs to be brought back. I also did some digging into the research about celery and found it fascinating.

I also struggled with thyroid issues in the past and know that the deep connection between toxins, stress, and thyroid function can’t be overstated. When I consistently drink my vegetable smoothie, I feel really great. I have improved sleep, focus, energy, and less painful menstrual cycles.

Celery History

The legends of celery are bigger than life. The history of plants and their use to aid human survival gives us clues and windows into the rich past about life, and possibly how we need to move forward with progress in the modern world which abounds with poor quality of health.

Imagine a time when celery was used strictly for medicine. This happens to be true for most of recorded history (1).  

Archeological evidence suggests that celery seeds were transported in Switzerland around 4000 B.C. Celery is believed to have been cultivated for at least 3000 years; most of this time it is known to be used exclusively for medicine. 

The first time celery was first recorded to be used as food in France was in the 1600s. 

Celery likely originated in the Mediterranean regions, but wild celery, also known as smallage, grows in wet places over Europe and Asia. Celery that we know today was domesticated around the 1700s in Europe and became widely used for food after that point.

Celery Juice Nutrition

Rich in nutrients, celery contains:

• Vitamin K
• Potassium
• Folate
• Fiber
• Apigenin
• Quercetin
• Polyacetylenes
• Luteolin

Uses for Celery

Celery is very versatile and adds a cleansing aspect to almost any food dish or drink. It has a very cleansing feel to the digestive tract, palate, and teeth. 

Here are some forms and ways to use celery(2): 

• Raw celery sticks
• Celery juice
• Celery leaves for soups
• Celery seed extract
• Celery juice powder
• Celery dishes
• Roasted celery
• Sautéed celery
• Celery seed supplements
• Celery seeds in cuisine

Celery characteristics

Celery may not be your first choice in terms of taste for eating because of its sometimes powerful bitterness, stringy texture. Celery’s aroma and crunch lend itself well to cooking and dipping, however.

Taste can be improved easily with many flavor additions and cooking preparation methods. Check out 101 Cookbooks for numerous recipes to enjoy celery.

Celery Juice Benefits

Testimonials are great, so what does the science say about celery juice's proven benefits? Here are the research studies as well as the legends that we have so far. 

Celery Aphrodisiac Effects

Evidence of celery offerings to the tomb of Tutankhamun has been also been found (3).   Romans were also known to revere celery; they dedicated celery to Pluto, their God of sex.

Celery was famous in history as a passion promoter, from the nymph Calypso owing her seven-year-long love fest with Odysseus to celery (4), to the mistress Madame d Pompadour invoking lust from Louis XV with celery soup (5). It has been used for centuries to treat impotence and as an aphrodisiac. Casanova is well-known to owe his amorous ways to daily consumption of celery (6). 

What we know today: Celery helps lower blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and has at least 12 kinds of antioxidants that may improve cardiovascular function (7,8,9). Sexual dysfunction is often linked to poor circulation in the small blood vessels (10). 

Heart patients are sometimes given nitroglycerin to help with vascular blood flow and reduce chest pain (11). You guessed it; celery has natural nitrates that seem to have similar if not milder functions (12). Celery does not contain the toxic version of nitrate known as nitrites (9).

Celery contains apigenin — a flavonoid and protein inhibitor that may boost testosterone levels in the testes.

Celery protects the testes from toxins such as phthalates (13). It also likely makes the body use insulin more effectively, making the blood vessels healthier (14). 

Could erectile dysfunction be related to H.Pylori? If you needed one more reason to eat celery, it seems to reduce the chances of gastric ulcer by reducing H.Pylori infections.

H.Pylori increases type 2 diabetes risk by over 3 times (15,16). Type 2 diabetes is also associated with erectile dysfunction. More dots connected. Yes, a convoluted link, but it all starts to add up.

Not enough to get your heart pumping? 

Celery also has androsterone, which is a natural steroid found in sweat, and it acts like a pheromone (17). In humans, pheromones are known to exert feelings of well-being, but in animals, are known to have very powerful signals for sex. Does this matter in humans? 

Recent evidence suggests that men who eat more vegetables instead of carbohydrate-rich foods smell better to women, particularly their sweat (18). And to women, the scent is a very important quality in the opposite sex. While this study didn't prove that celery itself is sexy to women, it further supports the hypothesis that diet matters in the arena of sex.

Were our ancestors right in their exertion that celery was an aphrodisiac? All signs so far point to yes. Is it the plant form of Viagra? I certainly hope not. With food and medicinal plants, it's the long game and balance that matters. But a "celery a day keeps the Viagra away" should and could be put to the test without fear of harm, unlike the drug.

Celery digestion and liver detoxification benefits

Rich antioxidants in celery may also help protect the digestive tract and biliary system. What does history tell us? Ayurvedic doctors and ancient Romans have used celery to treat poor digestion and liver ailments. Here is the current science supporting that our ancestors were right in their assertions of celery healing the digestive tract.

Celery may reduce the toxic effects of alcohol. However, it is most important to NOT over-consume alcohol anyway for many reasons. Celery seeds were given to mice with gastric ulcers brought on by alcohol; celery was able to inhibit over 90% of stomach ulceration; this is a similar potency to the active control drug called omeprazole (19). 

Celery Benefits for Infections

Due to celery's antimicrobial properties, it may help fight infections. In fact, The University of Maryland Medical Center website for gastritis management notes that flavonoids in celery may prevent the growth of bacteria, which are responsible for gastritis, or inflammation in the stomach lining (20).

Celery seems to reduce liver fat, improve liver detoxification, and handle cholesterol metabolism in an enhanced way. How? Possibly because it seems to also protect the body from environmental toxins like bisphenol A and phthalates. It also improves liver enzyme function (21).

Celery Juice Benefits for Nerves and Mood

Celery cools a hot temper according to Danish folk medicine (22). Hot tempers or mood disorders are related to digestive issues in modern medicine. 

Celery apigenin, exerts anxiety-reducing effects, possibly by modulating GABA receptors (23). High concentrations of apigenin also occur in chamomile, parsley, artichokes, peppermint, red wine, and licorice. 

Apigenin also reduces cortisol levels indirectly because it is rich in bioflavonoids coumarin and apigenin (24). These compounds help to prevent your body from producing stress hormones in excess, which helps to calm your nervous system. Additionally, celery is also rich in magnesium, which promotes a calming effect, as well.

Celery apigenin also stimulates neurogenesis in adults (25); Hippocrates seemed to get it right. This means it helps the growth of new nerve cells.

All combined, the multiple mechanisms discovered in animal models point towards easing of emotional states that trigger digestive issues, plus many additional benefits that neurogenesis may afford.

Does Celery Fight Cancer?

Celery contains cancer-protective compounds including polyacetylenes, luteolin, and apigenin (26,27,28). Early studies have shown that polyacetylenes help reduce toxicity and fight against cancer formation, specifically breast cancer, pancreatic, intestinal cancer and leukemia (28,29).

Eating foods high in apigenin may reduce breast cancer risk by about 20%, and also seems to help prevent colon and pancreatic tumors (27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36). These compounds act to inhibit tumor growth factors and are involved in cell cycle arrest of cancer cells.

Celery for Pain and Inflammation

The celery seed extract is as effective as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen for reducing inflammation and pain in rat models of arthritis (37).

Celery for Gout

Celery reduces uric acid levels, a major contributor to gout symptoms. Additional research shows that celery seeds might have potential use in alleviating inflammation and pain associated with gout (38,39). 

Celery seeds may provide strong pain relief by suppressing cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an enzyme involved in the production of inflammation (33).

Summary

Does celery prove to be medicinal, as our great scholars and legends suggested? Should we honor time-tested traditions and eat celery medicinally? Some medical experts and skeptics may say we don't have enough evidence yet backed by randomized clinical trials. 

But what do these trials measure anyway? If researchers look at one endpoint, they will likely miss the big picture; they miss numerous facets of celery and of many other diverse plants in this rigid form of research.

I would argue that waiting for randomized clinical trials might be fool-hardy. One of the most renowned medical journals, the New England Journal of Medicine, just recently published that we need to encompass many forms of research when making informed decisions about how to help heal people (40). 

What a fresh breath of air in the sometimes snooty world of medical research.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.” Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own.

Yes, Virginia. I believe.