Benefits And Harms Of Celery

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

With only 10 calories in each stem celery can be considered one of the lowest calorie foods. Crispy vegetables are much more than that. It has a number of health benefits and this is a fact that is widely known. That is why many people include celery in their diet.

However, along with the many benefits, consuming celery poses certain health risks - a fact that few people know.

If we start with the benefits, it should be noted that celery is a great source of important antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells, blood vessels and organs from oxidative damage. Celery contains vitamin C, beta-carotene and flavonoids, but there are at least 12 additional types of antioxidant nutrients in each stem.

Vegetables are also a rich source of phytonutrients, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of inflammation in the digestive tract, cells, blood vessels and organs.

In each stalk of celery have about 25 anti-inflammatory ingredients that can offer protection against inflammation in the body.

While antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients offer protection to the entire digestive tract, celery may offer special benefits to the stomach. The polysaccharides contained in celery reduce the incidence of gastric ulcers, improve the condition of the gastric mucosa and help the formation of gastric juices.

Celery also contains vitamins A, K and C, plus minerals such as potassium and folic acid. Vegetables are low in sodium. Moreover, celery has a low glycemic index, which means that it has a slow, permanent effect on blood sugar.

But what are the risks of consuming celery?

If vegetables make up the majority of the diet, you probably don't get enough of all the nutrients your body needs. Even if you have eaten a lot of celery to get as many of the nutrients in it as possible, you can still remain malnourished over time.

Frequent consumption also leads to gastrointestinal problems. Due to the high fiber content, excessive consumption of celery may not help but harm the stomach. Excess leads to bloating, gas, diarrhea or abdominal cramps. The recommended daily intake of fiber is 28 grams for every 2,000 calories.

Excess with celery may also expose you to the risk of pesticide poisoning. Vegetables have the ability to absorb and store pesticides. While small amounts of pesticides may be safe for humans, large doses can cause problems. Some of them can irritate the skin, others can cause stomach problems and even poisoning.

Last but not least, the natural chemicals in celery can interfere with the body's ability to use iodine properly. The thyroid gland relies on iodine to function and produce hormones. When iodine levels fall, the thyroid gland expands, which probably leads to goiter. Excessive amounts of celery, especially raw, have been shown to lead to iodine deficiency and goiter.