Hypertension (high blood pressure) is as sneaky a killer as it is insidious because it can cause damage in your body long before visible symptoms surface. According to physician Julian Whitaker, high blood pressure triples your risk of dying from a heart attack and multiplies your risk of stroke by seven. Fortunately, it is a largely preventable disease, which power-packed vegetables such as celery can help you fight.
Blood Pressure Basics
Life is in the blood. Because blood carries oxygen and nutrients to various organs and transports waste away from them, blood must continually flow. As your heart rhythmically pumps blood into the blood vessels connecting it to various organs, it exerts a force--this is your blood pressure, or BP. Your BP readings usually show two numbers expressed in millimeters of mercury, or mm/Hg. The first number is the systolic pressure, or pressure of the pumping heart. The second number, diastolic pressure, reflects the pressure of the resting heart.
Hypertension Classification
Clinicians define hypertension as blood pressure that consistently remains above 140/90 mm Hg. In contrast, a healthy BP should be lower than 120/80 mm Hg. According to the 2006 "Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure," in up to 95 percent of cases, doctors cannot identify the exact cause of hypertension. This is known as primary, or essential, hypertension. When high BP results from an underlying disease, doctors describe it as secondary hypertension.
Dietary Approaches
In a landmark study conducted in the late 1990s, scientists tested a Mediterranean-type diet that had such an impact on blood pressure that it became part of official guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. They dubbed this diet "DASH," which stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." Doctor Herbert Benson remarks that the low-fat, low-sodium DASH plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Among other health benefits, fruits and vegetables provide you with blood pressure-regulating minerals such as magnesium and potassium. As a potassium-rich food, celery fits well into the DASH diet.
Effects of Celery
A 2005 issue of the Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases journal reports that celery significantly reduces blood pressure and acts like a diuretic, or "water pill." The report also notes that the extent of celery's effects depends on the serving size. In the studies, celery seemed to greatly benefit hypertensive people who took it in any of the following forms: four stalks of celery per day, 8 tsp. of celery juice three times daily, 1,000 mg in extract form of celery seed twice a day or 1/2 to 1 tsp. of celery oil three times daily.
Potassium
Potassium's protective effect on BP may come from the fact that it promotes sodium excretion from the body, according to Colorado State University. Physician Mark Houston notes additional mechanisms through which the potassium in celery may reduce your BP, such as causing your blood vessels to dilate; improving your blood vessels' muscle function; decreasing your body's sensitivity to BP-elevating chemical signals; and acting on the hormonal systems that normally modulate your BP.
Other Celery Benefits
Celery contains several compounds that work like blood pressure medications without the corresponding side effects. For instance, physician Mark Houston notes that celery, celery extract and celery oil all contain a compound called apigenin, which causes the smooth muscles of your blood vessels to relax, thereby decreasing the pressure the blood exerts as it flows through the body. Celery, as well as its extract and oil, also contains substances that act like calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) and components that inhibit the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. CCB drugs indirectly dilate blood vessels, while tyrosine hydroylase inhibitors reduce the blood levels of BP-elevating hormones called catecholamines.
Considerations
Celery can be a precious ally in your fight against hypertension. However, instead of making celery the emphasis of your diet, or taking potassium supplements, opt for a variety of fruits and vegetables. According to the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, taking multiple minerals in their natural form helps reduce your BP more than taking a single mineral. Also, if you have secondary hypertension, the underlying condition must be addressed before you can see marked improvement in your BP.
References
- "Reversing Hypertension"; Dr. Julian Whitaker; 2000
- "Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure"; Dr. Herbert Benson; 2006
- Colorado State University: Potassium and Health
- Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases (journal); "Nutraceuticals"; Dr. Mark Houston; 2005
