Various juices and cleanses seem to have taken over the health and wellness sphere, with various members of the community touting the benefits of so many different juices. (Like, for example, cucumber juice, or the countless green juice trends.) This quickly causes your choices to become overwhelming very quickly when it comes to choosing a healthy juice drink to try. However, one juice trend has swept the internet to great acclaim: celery juice.
It’s time to delve into the celery juice trend, the health benefits of drinking celery juice, how celery juicing affects the body, and more.
What Exactly Is Celery Juice?
Whether it’s chopped or juiced, there’s no denying the health benefits of celery:1
- Great source of antioxidants
- Supports digestion
- Extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A, K, and C, as well as potassium and other mineral salts (like sodium)
- Has an alkalizing effect, meaning it can help neutralize super acidic foods
How is celery juice so different from just, say, eating normal celery stalks, you may ask? Well, when this particular vegetable is juiced, it causes the celery pulp to be removed, which allows you to consume more celery nutrients than you typically would by eating it, and thus allowing you to reap more benefits of the vegetable.2
Celery juice is also incredibly easy to make at home. Essentially, if you’re opting to make your own, you only need a few ingredients to create the perfect cup: celery and a juicer. Yep, it’s really that easy. Simply run the celery stalk through your juicer, pour into your favorite cup, and drink up to start getting the benefits of straight celery juice in no time.
However, plain celery juice may not be for everyone. For those who want to add a little extra flavor to their pure celery juice, juicing green apples, cucumbers, or even lemon can add some zing to your morning cup. And, there’s no shortage of new, innovative celery juice recipes online (some favorites even entail making it with a nut milk bag).
Can Juiced Celery Preserve Vitamin C?
While celery juice contains plenty of health benefits, you may be wondering how juicing celery affects the vegetable as opposed to just eating whole celery, especially as it pertains to the vitamin and mineral content. Vitamin C is essential in creating a healthy lifestyle, as it helps the body create good bone structure, cartilage, muscle, and healthy blood vessels. Some research even suggests that it can help prevent or delay the development of certain types of cardiovascular diseases.3
Celery juice provides a healthy dose of vitamin C, just as conventional celery or chopped celery does. In fact, one serving of celery juice provides 19 percent of your total recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and 99 percent of your daily intake of vitamin K in a diet of 2,000 daily calories.4
If you’re looking to ensure that you’re getting the appropriate number of vitamins and minerals from celery juice, try adding another celery stalk or two to your celery juice recipe (the recommended amount is three to five), making fresh juice every morning (as opposed to storing it in the fridge), or be sure to purchase only organic celery to ultimately ensure freshness.
Can You Drink It On An Empty Stomach?
Because the benefits of celery juice are primarily for digestion and overall gut health, you can drink it on an empty stomach. If that doesn’t appeal to you, try drinking a small glass of lemon water before juicing. However, it should be noted that while celery juice does have plenty of benefits, it shouldn’t substitute your breakfast. Try drinking it before a full meal for maximum benefit.
Some experts suggest that the celery juice challenge – where you drink 16 ounces of fresh celery juice every morning on an empty stomach – has the ability to transform your health and digestion in as little as one week.5 This is because celery contains an abundance of hydrochloric acid, which helps restore gut function and health, as well as getting rid of bad bacteria that can be found in your stomach.6
Why You Should Drink Celery Juice
The benefits of celery are endless, but celery juice benefits are just as positive. If you’re looking to improve the following, consider adding a fresh cup of celery juice to your morning routine:
- Healthy gut: As discussed above, one of the primary functions of drinking celery juice is to promote a healthier gut that fights off the nasty bacteria that can find its way into your digestive tract. The high sodium levels found in celery also help your stomach break down food better, and can also reduce bloating.
- Healthy liver: Because celery juice is a great way to kickstart your digestion, it also helps move along the various fats and proteins that can contribute to a more sluggish liver. By helping promote healthier liver function, celery juice also helps lower cholesterol as well as aids in getting rid of ulcers in the digestive tract.
- Healthy skin: Because celery is 95 percent water, it’s a great way to hydrate your body and, in turn, your skin. As previously discussed, celery also has high vitamin C and E levels, which may help support a reduction in acne, and even sun damage.
- Healthy diet: It’s widely known that a healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables, and celery is no exception.
Among the incredible benefits of celery, drinking celery juice also has the ability to help support:7
- Feelings of fullness
- Healthy blood sugar levels
- Healthy cholesterol levels
- Immune function
- Balanced gut bacteria
- A reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more
While plenty of celery juice testimonials exist online, it’s important to conduct your own research and even consult your doctor if you’re curious about celery juice being right for you.
The Juicy Details
No matter how you slice it or juice it, incorporating more celery into your healthy diet has incredible benefits for your overall health and well-being. The global celery juice movement is rapidly sweeping across neighborhoods and homes, and it’s important to conduct your own research if you’re thinking about jumping in yourself.
At the end of the day, there are plenty of ways to incorporate more nutritious celery into your diet with celery juice recipes. Whether you choose to eat raw celery whole, take celery extract, or drink it juiced alongside your breakfast, your gut and liver will be thanking you in no time.
Learn More:
Tips For Living A Healthy Balanced Life
Frozen Fruits And Vegetables Vs. Fresh Produce: Which Has More Nutrients?
Try These Low Calorie Foods That Keep You Full For Longer
Sources
1 https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/health-benefits-of-celery
2 https://goop.com/wellness/health/the-medical-medium-on-the-virtues-of-celery-juice/
3 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070910132848.htm
4 https://www.verywellfit.com/celery-juice-nutrition-facts-4169601
5 https://www.feastingathome.com/celery-juice-recipe-and-10-benefits/#:~:text=Just%2016%20ounces%20of%20fresh,If%20possible%20use%20organic%20celery.
6 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercohen/2019/09/06/everything-you-need-to-know-about-celery-juice/#:~:text=Celery%20Juice%20Improves%20Digestion&text=This%20is%20because%20celery%20contains,more%20energy%20to%20digest%20food
7 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/celery-juice-healthy-or-hype#What-are-the-pros-of-celery-juice?
Thank you for your thorough and comprehensive article on celery juice.