Celery for high blood pressure

Celery is a native vegetable used in many dishes. It's the base for soups and is therefore included in many mixed soup-vegetable packs. Often it's also prepared as a celery salad, breaded celery cutlets, or eaten raw as a snack.

Less well known is that the crunchy stalks and the aromatic root do more than just cheaply and low-calorie enhance our meals. They are credited with many positive effects on our health.

Celery is sold as celeriac, stalk celery, or leaf celery. All varieties contain valuable nutrients that can, for example, have a beneficial effect on your blood pressure. In addition to the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene, celery contains various other compounds that improve blood flow and reduce the risk of inflammation. That helps prevent the development of narrowed blood vessels and thus also reduces the risk of developing so-called atherosclerosis. Because this is in most cases associated with higher blood pressure values, the risk of developing high blood pressure is also lowered.

This healthy powerhouse also scores points with the phytonutrient phthalide. It supports the cardiovascular system by relaxing the vessel muscles. The vessels widen and blood can flow more easily. That directly contributes to lowering blood pressure.

But the cholesterol-lowering effect and the positive influence of the magnesium it contains on the nervous system also indirectly help improve blood pressure. Likewise, the high content of potassium, which gives celery a diuretic effect, can support the normalization of blood pressure.

A small study in 2014 showed a blood pressure reduction after taking celery seed. Unfortunately, this study is not very conclusive due to the small number of participants and the short observation period.

A recommended intake is four stalks of celery per day. However, the beneficial compounds are also found in celeriac or in the seeds. This opens up many ways to consume it. Whether raw with a dip, in soup, as a breaded cutlet, in a salad, and so on celery is good for you. You can even press it for juice. Celery also fits well into smoothies. To preserve the good ingredients, celery should preferably not be cooked for long, but eaten raw or only gently steamed.

Be creative and enjoy the benefits of this local superfood, celery.

Sources

This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.

Celery for high blood pressure

Sources

Registry: