Do you use celery seed in your everyday cooking? If so, you might be aware of some celery seed benefits: it adds depth of flavor to spice mixes, and can be the difference between a good and a great vegetable broth.
But did you know that celery seed benefits extend far beyond the kitchen?
Dozens of studies have examined potential celery seed benefits, and while there are too many studies and journals to analyze, one takeaway is this: no matter what your health goal may be, there may be a way that celery seed can support it.
Helps Maintain Blood Pressure Already Within The Normal Range
A student published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at the ways that different celery seed extracts affected blood pressure (BP) in rats. The student evaluated the way that celery seed interacted with the rats’ blood pressure and heart rate, and stated that it can be concluded that celery seed extracts have antihypertensive properties, which appears to be attributable to the actions of its active hydrophobic constitutes such as NBP.
Supports Liver Health
Another study published by NIH, titled Role of Natural Herbs in the Treatment of Hypertension, observed the way a variety of herbs, including garlic, tea, and celery, affected hypertension. The authors of the study stated that, According to Chinese theory, Celery is effective for HTN because it acts upon the liver; one type of HTN is associated with the liver. In Mainland China, celery was useful in reducing HTN in 14 of 16 patients it has also been reported to reduce systolic and diastolic BP.
While fresh celery juice, mixed with equal amounts honey, was used for the study, the authors also concluded that celery seeds can be used as a safe and effective treatment for high BP.
Contains Flavonoids, Oils, and Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Each celery seed contains flavonoids, volatile oils, coumarins, and omega-6 fatty acids, which may provide many potential medicinal benefits.
Celery seed has been used as a diuretic in the Eastern world for thousands of years. Some studies have shown that celery seed may help maintain blood pressure in animals, and may support a healthy liver.
Celery seed also contains polyphenols, which are abundant micronutrients and are believed to support a variety of nutritional goals.
Provides Antioxidants and Phenols
A study in the Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity examined antioxidants in plant-derived products. When looking at six different plants, including onion, parsley roots and leaves, celery roots and leaves, and dill leaves, the authors found that celery leaves exhibited the highest total phenolic content.
While phenols themselves are a toxic and corrosive compound, many types of phenols can provide potential health benefits. In fact, some phenolic compounds are believed to be cancer chemopreventatives, compounds that may reduce your risk of developing cancer. Still, other phenols may have antioxidant effects, meaning they react with and capture dangerously reactive compounds called free radicals before the radicals can react with other biomolecules and cause serious damage.
How to Get the Benefits
If you want to explore how celery seed may benefit you, there are a few ways to start incorporating it into your life. The first is easy: buy a jar of celery seed! Because of it’s disctinct flavor, celery seed use is recommended for cooking shellfish, flavoring chicken, or with potatoes, cheese, carrots, or eggs. It’s also great as part of a pickling mix.
Celery seed can also be made into an herbal tea by mixing boiled water and celery seed. If the taste of celery seed tea isn’t too your liking, you can also incorporate it into a vegetable broth.
Another way to utilize celery seed is through celery seed extract capsule. These are available as a stand alone produce in the Natural Healthy Concepts store; or you can also purchase capsules containing celery seed extract plus horse chestnut.
How do you use celery seed? Share your thoughts in the comments!
