Nibbling on celery may benefit more than just your waistline. It can help your blood pressure, too. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, celery seed is a natural diuretic. Diuretics remove excess fluid from your blood. That reduces stress against your arterial walls and lowers your blood pressure. This doesn't mean you should trade your medication for celery stalks. More research is needed to prove the effectiveness of celery. Discuss dietary changes and the use of supplements with your physician.
Nutrition
One cup of chopped celery has just 20 calories, but 104mg of sodium. Depending on your dietary habits, this may be a concern. If you have high blood pressure, your physician has probably asked you to limit your sodium intake. Celery also has 8mg of vitamin C and 344mg of potassium. It is known for its strong flavor. If you dislike the taste, it is also available in supplement form as an oil, tablet or powder. If you prefer eating fresh celery, it is available year-round.
Active Ingredients
Three chemicals in celery promote healthy blood pressure: 3-n-butylphthalide, or NBP; apigenin, a plant-based antioxidant; and omega-6 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid. In his book "How to Prevent and Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine," Dr. Michael Murray, a naturopathic doctor, writes that NBP behaves like a calcium channel blocker, dilating arteries and relaxing blood vessels. Apigenin protects your body against cellular damage, decreases inflammation in your arteries and prevents blood clots. Omega-6 fatty acids, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, may help protect your body against hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Research
In the May 2005 issue of "Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases," Dr. Mark Houston writes that in animal studies, NBP lowered systolic blood pressure by 24 points. Systolic pressure measures the force your heart exerts pumping blood. It is the top number in your blood pressure reading. In his paper, Dr. Houston also refers to a human study in which 14 of 16 people with high blood pressure experienced a "significant" drop in blood pressure after eating celery. Dr. Houston is a physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University. To confirm the connection between celery and blood pressure, researchers must conduct further studies with much larger human populations.
Dosing
In his "Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases" article, Dr. Houston writes that the following doses are effective at reducing hypertension: four stalks of celery per day, 8 tsp. of celery juice taken three times daily, 1,000mg of celery seed extract or up to 1 tsp. of celery oil taken three times daily.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Celery Seed
- Iowa State University: Celery
- "How to Prevent and Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray, N.D., et al.; November 2004
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute: Flavonoids
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-6 fatty acids
- "Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases"; Nutraceuticals, Vitamins, Antioxidants, and Minerals in the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension; Mark C. Houston, M.D.; May 2005
