The health benefits of celery

Vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains and their oils, which are components of the Genesis 1, 29 Diet, should be eaten daily or more frequently than we presently do. The cumulative effect of these foods will help to prevent numerous diseases in the body.

Moreover, these foods all contain things like vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients that can boost some of the biochemical reactions that occur in the body. They also take part in the neutralizing functions of the antioxidant enzymes and enhance the immune system. Phytonutrients in particular help to prevent diseases in the body. Wellness and maintenance of good health is the overall effect of eating these foods often.
Celery

Celery is an example of this type of vegetables. It is very rich in several vitamins, minerals and nutrients but it is not a well known vegetable.. In fact when I ask my clients to name the vegetables they eat regularly, I doubt if any ever mentioned celery. Indeed, as I include it in the list of vegetables I recommend for them, it almost always comes as a surprise.

Not only that, writing about these vegetables and other types of food will serve as an eye opener for a lot of people. This will be so because the vegetables that our people are used to are such vegetables as ugu (pumpkin), bitter leaf, waterleaf etc. These are vegetables that are commonly used for our soups and as we are aware, they are usually killed by over cooking them. These only offer little or no nutrients to our bodies. However, there are vegetables that can easily be eaten raw in salads, even without the salad dressing for maximum benefit.
Celery, like other vegetables can be found in vegetable markets located in all cities in the country.
Health benefits of celery

More than a lot of other vegetables, celery is full of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that make it such a healthy vegetable.To begin with, celery is a rich source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. The minerals found in celery are potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and manganese. These minerals are organic minerals, which form salt that is both essential to the body and better than table salt. Furthermore, these minerals also balance the pH of the body fluids, making it more alkaline and reducing the level of acidosis.

Vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese etc give celery its antioxidant properties. Together with these, are the phytonutrients that increase the ability of celery to combat oxidative stress. These phytonutrients are mainly what is referred to as phenolic nutrients and there are such nutrients as phenolic acids, flavonols, such as quercetin (also abundant in tomatoes) and luteolin, a flavonoid. All these also have anti-inflammatory properties which prevent damage to the intestines, arteries and heart by neutralizing free radicals and preventing inflammation. As an anti-inflammatory agent, celery is also useful in combating such conditions as arthritis, lung infections, asthma and acne.

Celery also has blood pressure lowering properties. It does so through the action of another phytonutrient on the smooth muscles of the arteries. This phytonutrient is butylphthalide a derivative of the phthalides, which causes relaxation of the smooth muscles of the arteries, leading to a dilatation of the arteries. This in turn leads to a lowering of the blood pressure. Butylphthalides have also proven effective in lowering the ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Luteolin, another phytonutrient among the flavonoids, is a powerful compound that inhibits the growth of cancer cells and this makes celery an important vegetable in the cancer fighting protocol.

Celery has a high content of water and a dietary fibre of the pectin group. With these two celery aids digestion, cleanses the colon and prevents constipation as it increases the rate of passage of faecal matter through the colon. Celery also has diuretic properties by which it causes an increase in the flow of urine. It is a well-known kidney and liver cleanser.

Other health benefits of celery include increasing the libido, combating stress and increasing sleep. Also it prevents degenerative conditions of the eyes such as macular degeneration and blindness. It is a low calorie vegetable with bulk and an appropriate meal for weight loss.