Celery (Apium graveolens) is an annual plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, is rich in fibre and has few calories.

 It has been cultivated and used for culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years across various cultures, notably in ancient Egypt and Europe.

Cultivation and Harvesting

Celery thrives best in temperate climates and requires moist and well-drained soils. After planting, celery plants take several months to mature. Once harvested, celery should be stored in a cool and moist place.

Use in Cooking

Celery is known for its crisp texture and slightly peppery flavor. It can be consumed raw in salads or cooked in soups, stews, and other dishes. Celery leaves and seeds are also used as flavorings in many recipes.

Nutritional Value

Celery is low in calories but rich in vitamin K. It also contains fiber, vitamin C, and various minerals. It's known for its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Varieties and Types

There are different varieties of celery, including celeriac and wild celery. Each variety has a unique flavor and texture, making it suitable for different culinary uses.

Its seeds have an anti-inflammatory action and positive effects on arterial hypertension (1).

The results of this study confirm that the phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in the celery leaves, such as apigenin and luteolin, exert antioxidant activity (2).

An 8-month study with administration of celery leaf extract has been shown to reduce blood glucose levels, however a lack of association between blood glucose levels and plasma insulin levels in elderly pre-diabetics was found (3).

A mixture of celery and ajowan has been shown to be effective in reducing the frequency and symptoms of dyspepsia (4).

Allergy

The celery is one of the main foods that can trigger allergic reactions (5).

Celery studies

References_________________________________________________________________________

 (1) Antihypertensive effect of celery seed on rat blood pressure in chronic administration.  Moghadam MH, Imenshahidi M, Mohajeri SA.  J Med Food. 2013 Jun;16(6):558-63. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2012.2664.

(2) Effect of digestion on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of celery leaf and the antioxidant mechanism via Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways against Dexamethasone.  Han L, Gao X, Xia T, Zhang X, Li X, Gao W.  J Food Biochem. 2019 Jul;43(7):e12875. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.12875.

(3) The effects of celery leaf (apium graveolens L.) treatment on blood glucose and insulin levels in elderly pre-diabetics.  Yusni Y, Zufry H, Meutia F, Sucipto KW.  Saudi Med J. 2018 Feb;39(2):154-160. doi: 10.15537/smj.2018.2.21238.

(4) Effect of Apium graveolens and Trachyspermum copticom on clinical symptoms of patients with functional dyspepsia.  Azimi M, Zahedi MJ, Mehrabani M, Tajadini H, Zolala F, Baneshi MR, Choopani R, Sharififar F, Asadipour A, Hayatbakhsh MM, Ahmadi B.  Avicenna J Phytomed. 2017 Nov-Dec;7(6):554-564.

(5) Identification and Quantification of Celery Allergens Using Fiber Optic Surface Plasmon Resonance PCR.  Daems D, Peeters B, Delport F, Remans T, Lammertyn J, Spasic D.  Sensors (Basel). 2017 Jul 31;17(8). pii: E1754. doi: 10.3390/s17081754.