Celery is considered a low-calorie“diet food”

Celery, which has the scientific name Apium graveolens, is a vegetable in the plant family called Apiaceae.

In the past, celery was grown as a vegetable mostly during the winter and early spring months. People mostly liked to eat it to help with “cleansing” and believed that it acted as a natural detox tonic that could prevent sickness.As we know, it does in fact seem to help with detoxification thanks to its hydrating qualities and nutritional content.

Celery contains vitamin C, beta carotene, and flavonoids, but there are at least 12 additional kinds of antioxidant nutrients found in a single stalk. It’s also a wonderful source of phytonutrients, which have been shown to reduce instances of inflammation in the digestive tract, cells, blood vessels, and organs.

Chronic inflammation has been linked to many illnesses, including arthritis and osteoporosis. Celery and celery seeds have approximately 25 anti-inflammatory compounds that can offer protection against inflammation in the body.

While its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients offer protection to the entire digestive tract, celery may offer special benefits to the stomach.

Pectin-based polysaccharides in celery, including a compound known as apiuman, have been shown to decrease instances of stomach ulcers, improve the lining of the stomach, and modulate stomach secretions in animal studies.

And then there’s the high water content of celery — almost 95 percent — plus generous amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. All of those support a healthy digestive tract and keep you regular. One cup of celery sticks has 5 grams of dietary fiber.

You’ll enjoy vitamins A, K, and C, plus minerals like potassium and folate when you eat celery. It’s also low in sodium. Plus, it’s low on the glycemic index, meaning it has a slow, steady effect on your blood sugar.

With minerals like magnesium, iron, and sodium, celery can have a neutralizing effect on acidic foods — not to mention the fact that these minerals are necessary for essential bodily functions.

Celery is extremely low in calories and can be a valuable food to help you lose weight because of its ability to provide vital nutrients and help regulate lipid (fat) metabolism.

In addition to its nutritional content, especially its supply of antioxidants, electrolytes, and vitamins and minerals, it contains water and fiber that can help to make you feel full by adding volume to your meals. Eating celery whole provides more fiber than the juice, so this may be the best option.

Because celery helps reduce uric acid and stimulates urine production, it’s beneficial for fighting bacterial infections within the digestive tract and reproductive organs. Similar to cranberries, which are known for fighting urinary tract infections (UTIs), celery may help prevent UTIs, as well as bladder disorders, kidney problems and possibly even cysts on reproductive organs.

Celery is in the same plant family as cancer-protective vegetables like carrots, celery, fennel, parsley and parsnips, which all contain chemo-protective compounds called polyacetylenes. Early studies have shown that polyacetylenes help reduce toxicity and fight against cancer formation, specifically breast cancer, intestinal cancer and leukemia.

That’s not all. Celery contains flavonoids called apigenin and luteolin, which have been shown to induce death in cancer cells.