If you have diabetes you are not alone -- diabetes affects about 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, or 25.8 million people. Same goes if you have prediabetes characterized by blood-glucose levels that are higher than normal but not classified as diabetes. This condition affects some 79 million Americans. If you are diabetic, your medical expenditures are likely to be 2.3 times higher than those of a non-diabetic person. Medication costs and side effects are stimulating interest in plant-based remedies to manage diabetes. Some plants such as celery are being studied for potential benefits.
Significance
Celery and its seeds may have a hypoglycemic effect, meaning they help reduce blood-sugar levels. Managing your blood-sugar levels with Type 2 diabetes is key in diabetes because levels that get too high raise your risk for numerous complications. These include raised risk for heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, osteoporosis, skin and mouth conditions, hearing problems and Alzheimer's disease. Diabetes is the top cause of kidney failure in the United States. It's also the leading cause for new cases of blindness and non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the seventh leading cause of death in the country.
Potential
Celery is among more than 200 plants that may have hypoglycemic effects and is an ingredient used in some Chinese herbal medicines formulated to treat or prevent diabetes, notes W. Jai, lead author for a 2002 study published in "Phytotherapy Research." Some of these plants improve your body's ability to use insulin. Plants that have a positive effect on blood-glucose may have advantages over chemical drugs used to help reduce risk for diabetes complications because such drugs can have numerous side effects, notes Jai. Also, using natural agents together with conventional drug treatments or insulin can permit use of lower drug dosages, which also cuts risk for side effects from the drugs, says Jai. More study is needed before any plant-based therapy can be recommended for diabetes treatment. Chinese herbal medicines used to manage diabetes frequently include numerous fruits and vegetables. However, if nothing else, celery juice may help you reduce cravings and thus avoid spiking blood-sugar levels, notes "The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health," author Cherie Calbom.
Use
If you want to try celery seed to help manage diabetes, a possibly effective dose is 1 to 2 tsp. freshly crushed celery seeds per 8 oz. boiling water. Steep the beverage for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain it before drinking. You may drink up to 3 cups of this tea daily, which might help treat diabetes, according to "The New Healing Herbs," by Michael Castleman. If you want to include a celery seed remedy in your diabetes management program you need to discuss it with your doctor first.
Considerations
Use care if you utilize celery seeds for diabetes care. Celery has a diuretic effect. Taking celery with certain drugs such as fosinopril, tetracycline and loratadine can increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Taking it with fondaparinux can increase your risk for bleeding or bruising. Taking celery with levothyroxine can reduce effectiveness of this drug. If you have a kidney ailment, celery may worsen your condition. Celery may also stimulate uterine contractions.
References
- "The New Healing Herbs"; Michael Castleman; 2001
- MayoClinic.com: Type 2 Diabetes
- MayoClinic.com: Type 2 Diabetes -- Complications
- "Phytotherapy Research"; Antidiabetic Herbal Drugs Officially Approved in China; W. Jia, et al.; 2003
- "Biologics: Targets and Therapy": The Antidiabetic Effects of a Dry Powder of Dietary Vegetable and Fruit Mixtures in Diabetic db/db Mice; Chung-Man Yeung, et al.; 2008
- "The Ultimate Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide"; George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox; 2007
