In ancient times the celery vegetable has been created out of the celery herb. The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greek people turned the small herb into the celery and root celery or celeriac. They did this without genetic manipulation.
The Egyptian people drank a tea of the leafs against heart diseases. Also a mash of the cooked leafs and stems was eaten for medicinal reasons. In the Middle Ages people started to see this medicine as a delicacy. From that time it became seen as a healthy, culinary vegetable instead of a medicine alone. Though people stick to eating the hot mash. It took till the 18th century till people dare to eat celery raw.
Improved liver function
This old medicinal vegetable is good for the liver. It contains many antioxidants. Furthermore the diuretic effect of this fresh tasting vegetable causes the exit of many toxins. This means the liver has to fight less toxins and turns into better condition. In Iranian research it is mentioned as one of the liver protecting natural medicines.
Blood pressure
While it looks like ´only food´, this former small herb still consists all of his medicinal properties after becoming a real big vegetable. In Chinese traditional medicine celery, has been used against heart diseases. Modern science confirms this view because phtalides in celery make the muscles around the blood vessels more relaxed and flexible. That widens the vessels just a little bit. This is the natural way to lower blood pressure. Furthermore celery is a diuretic. Heart patients nowadays are being prescribed diuretics. You want to know why? Because the blood holds extra liquid with toxins in it. These toxins are considered too dangerous for the kidney to release them all at the same time. Celery strengthens the kidneys; they can take more toxins and move them out of the body. The body will notice this and sends the toxins from the blood, and the fluid in which they were held, to the kidneys. A little less fluid lowers the blood pressure. So there are two ways for this type of medicinal food to lower the blood pressure in a perfect natural way.
Against free radicals
This great culinary choice contains coumarines, which are known to eliminate free radicals. Chinese research from 2014 shows that this vegetable is able to improve antioxidant levels in the serum, liver, brain, heart and kidneys. In general, antioxidants are the components that eliminate free radicals. Free radicals potentially do many harm like DNA-damage and they can cause cancer. Therefore eating celery helps your body preventing cancer. There are also acetylenicides in celery and this substance stop the growth of tumor cells. So there are at least two ways in which celery helps to fight cancer.
Medicinal kitchen advise Celery
You benefit the most of this vegetable when you eat it raw. It is good to know that raw vegetables are full of enzymes. Enzymes play an important role in digestion food. It is advisable to take them with each hot meal to digest your food better. These long stems are perfect for in a salad when you cut them in small cubes. Mix it with cucumber, spinach, onions, tomatoes, watercress and bell peppers. You can also put the cubes in a frying pan and stir fry them two minutes together with shallots, leek and garlic. Don´t forget to also use the leafs of the plant which you get for free. They are perfect for adding in a soup or salad. Use this vegetable daily raw as a salad snack or with breakfast, lunch and supper. Fill the hollow stems with organic cream cheese, pesto, olive paste, sugar free peanut butter or tahini and enjoy your meal!
Sources:
- Possibly good for liver: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7700983
- Good for liver: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115301593
- Antioxidant levels in organs: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24232123
- http://www.geneeskrachtigegroenten.nl/Groenten-en-hun-medicinale-werking/Bleekselderij/
