Many people have noticed that one of the latest nutrition “trends” has been juicing and consuming beverages that claim to boost gut health, detoxify the body, and fill your body with tons of vitamins and minerals. Most recently, celery juicing has become a popular topic of discussion on social media and other news outlets. Some celery juicers have claimed that drinking this magic drink has cured them of mental health problems, infertility, and eczema. However, as a Registered Dietitian we are taught to look to the science based evidence to understand if the topic is a healthful practice or not.
After a search in the current scientific literature on celery juicing we can conclude there is not enough information to prove that celery juice lives up to all the claims. Majority of the studies have been done on mice and not human subjects. There needs to be more research regarding celery juice impact on human health.
Luckily, there are still benefits to consuming celery. By eating fresh celery provides a source of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, manganese, and much more. It has a high percentage of water which can help prevent dehydration. Celery is also a great source of fiber, but only in its whole form. By juicing the celery stalks, you are stripping the celery of all its fiber. Despite these benefits, there have not been large human studies done using celery juice as a treatment for chronic conditions.
One claim is that celery contains phytochemicals and antioxidants associated with reducing inflammation to possibly reduce autoimmune symptoms and disease risk. Nonetheless, so do lots of other vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Compounds called flavonoids are in celery stalks but there are lots of other foods with the same level of or even more flavonoids. If you were to puree 1 pound of any vegetable or fruit, you would get similar potential “superfood” nutrient levels. There’s nothing particularly special about celery other than it’s a vegetable, and most all need to be eating more veggies.
As a registered dietitian counseling a patient who is or wants to try celery juicing I would tell the patient that celery juice is not harmful for most people, but check with your doctor if you take statins, blood pressure medicine, or blood thinning medication as there is always a risk of nutrient-drug interactions.
Kaitlyn Tusha, BS, Dietetic Intern
