I’m a huge fan of green smoothies because they are an easy way to pack a lot of nutrition into a tasty drink (and kids love them!). I still love my green smoothies, but I’m also experimenting with green juices for their health benefits. Celery juice recipes have been popular, so today I want to talk about the benefits of drinking celery juice and whether it’s all it’s cracked up to be.
Is Celery Juice a Superfood… or a Fad?
Although celery does contain many health benefits, celery juice is not meant to replace a healthy diet and lifestyle. Drinking lots of celery juice won’t fix a poor diet or lack of exercise. In fact, there are no single remedies or foods that eaten or taken alone can have a huge improvement on health. That’s just not how the body works.
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A well-rounded diet (that includes a variety of superfoods) and other healthy lifestyle choices are the best way to live a healthy life. Celery juice is a superfood that can be included in a healthy diet and lifestyle for its many health benefits.
How the Craze Began
The celery juice movement was started by a book, Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide by Anthony William (he calls himself the Medical Medium). This book recommends drinking 16 ounces of celery juice every morning on an empty stomach to relieve many health issues including weight loss and high blood pressure.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot of scientific evidence to support William’s claims about celery juice. However, there is evidence that celery has health benefits but we have to look at it in terms of the whole diet and lifestyle.
Benefits of Celery Juice
Celery leaf, seed, and extract have been popular remedies in traditional plant medicine practices for centuries. A 2017 review published in the Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that celery:
- can help avoid heart disease, jaundice, urinary tract problems, gout, and rheumatoid disorders
- improve fertility
- increase sperm counts
- is antifungal and antibacterial
- can be used for bronchitis, colic, asthma, skin conditions, fevers, vomiting, and tremors
Celery has many uses as a medicinal plant, but it also has several general health-promoting properties that everyone can benefit from. We try to use a fair amount of celery in traditional ways: filled with nut butter, diced in chicken salad, etc., but it’s hard to get a large quantity of celery in. (Plus all that chewing!)
That’s where juicing comes in.
Nutrient Dense
We have heard a number of times that celery is a negative calorie food because it takes more energy to digest than it provides. But I think this is looking at celery in the wrong way. I’m not one for counting calories, as they are not all equal, so I don’t care about how many calories celery has or doesn’t have. Celery’s nutrient content is much more important to me and is proving to be a great addition to a healthy diet.
Celery is a highly nutritious food. The review listed above also suggests that celery is a sought-after vegetable for its health benefits because it contains a large amount of vitamin C as well as retinoids and carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A). Celery also contains:
- vitamin k
- molybdenum
- potassium
- folate
- pantothenic acid
- vitamins B2 & B6
- copper
- manganese
- magnesium
It’s always better to get vitamins and minerals from food when you can, and celery packs a nutritional punch!
Rich in Antioxidants
Antioxidants like flavonoids fight disease-causing free radicals that build up in the body and lead to acute and chronic health problems. According to the review, celery contains this antioxidant line-up:
- caffeic acid
- p-coumaric acid
- ferulic acid
- apigenin
- luteolin
- tannin
- saponin
- kaempferol
These powerful antioxidants support the body in reducing inflammation and fighting off disease.
Anti-Inflammatory
Along with antioxidants, celery contains other promising compounds that fight inflammation. This has researchers looking into the benefits of celery for individuals that struggle with chronic illness. A 2017 study in the Journal of Asian Natural Products Research shows that certain compounds in celery can alter the processes of inflammatory-producing molecules, reducing inflammation in the body.
Supports Heart Health
Celery is an excellent vegetable to support a healthy heart. A 2015 study in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine shows that celery decreased cholesterol and blood pressure in rats that received a celery leaf extract. And a 2013 study backs it up, reporting that celery has properties that help to relax the cardiovascular system and may be a potential treatment for those with hypertension.
All of these benefits make it easy to see why celery is considered a superfood. Eating raw celery, juicing and cooking with it provides the body with many positive health benefits.
Benefits of Drinking Celery Juice
Celery obviously has many benefits when included in the diet, so many people wonder why juicing is necessary. The reason celery juice may be a better health choice than eating celery whole is that celery juice has the fiber removed. Celery juice contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and other compounds of celery, but is easier to consume large amounts of it.
Fiber is very important for a healthy diet and lifestyle, but removing it to make vegetable juices may be a good way to get the most nutrition with less bulk.
Juicing is not always a good idea though, like in the case of fruit. Fruits are high in sugar but when eaten whole the sugars are balanced fairly well by the fiber. Fruit juice, with the fiber removed, may cause blood sugar spikes so I don’t recommend drinking large amounts of fruit juice (even freshly squeezed!).
Celery Juice Recipe
Servings
Nutrition
Notes
- I’ve tried both of these methods. Although using a juicer is much easier, the blender method still creates a satisfying and healthy drink.
- It is normal for the juice to look separated when it settles. Simply give it a few quick shakes before pouring it into a glass.
- While William recommends drinking 16 ounces first thing in the morning, I couldn’t find any clear and evidence supported reason for doing this, so I would just do what feels right for you.
Is It Important to Use Organic Celery?
Surprisingly, science shows that organic and non-organic produce contain quite similar levels of nutrients. A 2012 review found that organic foods were not significantly more nutritious than non-organic foods.
However, there are benefits to eating (and juicing) organic produce that go beyond just the levels of nutrients in the food. The review I mentioned above also states that choosing organic food reduces exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
When I’m choosing between organic and non-organic produce, I use the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. They put out the Dirty Dozen (12 fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide residue) and the Clean Fifteen (15 fruits and vegetables with the lowest levels of pesticide residue).
Celery is listed in the Dirty Dozen category. Because of that, I usually buy organic celery. If purchasing organic is not in the budget, buy non-organic and clean the celery with an all-natural produce wash before juicing. Eating a whole food diet with non-organic produce is still healthier than highly-processed, sugary junk food.
How to Get Kids to Drink Celery Juice
Getting kids to eat (and drink) healthy can be a challenge. But it is possible! Try these tips:
- Celery juice is slightly bitter on its own. I’ve found that mixing celery with other fruits and vegetables is the best way to get kids to drink celery juice.
- Low-sugar vegetable juices are the best options for making celery juice a bit tastier without lowering the health quality of the drink. My kids really love carrots, cucumbers, and celery together.
- Sometimes kids need a little time to adjust to new foods (especially green vegetables). Juicing their favorite fruits and vegetables (apples, oranges, etc.) along with celery may help them open up to this bitter drink. I would just be careful to only use as much fruit as is necessary for taste (and consider backing off on the fruit as your child adjusts).
- Be sure to get the kids involved in the juicing process. For my kids, being allowed to help out in the kitchen is the best way to get them excited about trying new foods.
How to Eat More Celery
Celery certainly doesn’t only belong in juice. The health benefits of celery can be obtained by adding more of this crunchy veggie into your diet on a regular basis. It goes great in soups, stews, chopped up in salads, and even tastes good dipped in almond butter for a midday snack. These are a few of my favorite recipes using celery:
- Root Vegetable Grain Free Stuffing
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Easy Leftover Turkey Soup
- Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie
Celery is versatile and makes a great snack for kids (and adults). A friend of mine encourages her kids to eat celery by calling it “celery smiles” rather than just plain, old celery. Sometimes the simplest tricks have the biggest impact when it comes to kids!
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Ann Shippy, who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and a certified Functional Medicine physician with a thriving practice in Austin, Texas. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Have you tried juicing celery? What do you think about it?
Hi Katie,
I’m just curious if you have read any of the medical medium books?
Janelle
No I haven’t…
I am so grateful for your work. I stumbled across your website many years ago when I first began my health journey, and I gained valuable insight/tools that helped me transition to a healthier lifestyle. You are truly contributing to the creation of a better world, so thank you so much.
If you’re familiar with Anthony’s background (and where he gets his information), I completely understand that many people have a certain degree of skepticism regarding some of his recommendations. When I first stumbled across his work, I was skeptical. However, by the time I had found Anthony’s books, I had been suffering from chronic illness symptoms for over a decade, and I had seen 6 different doctors (naturopathic, functional, and conventional) across the country. None of the protocols they put me on helped (I did everything under the sun: the low FODMAP diet, elimination diet, candida diet, etc. etc.). Years and thousands of dollars later, these protocols actually left me worse off then I was when I had started.
I understand that we all have our own beliefs regarding health and wellness, and I am by no means trying to impose Anthony’s recommendations onto you (or anyone else) in this forum. I simply want to share here that I am one of thousands upon thousands of people that has healed my chronic health conditions by immersing myself in his book series and applying the information to my life (celery juice is only 1 component). Anthony is the one who brought celery juice to the world in 2016, with the release of his very first book: Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal. If you are interested in exploring his work further, I would *strongly* recommend starting with his first book. These books are not like anything else you will read on health.
Thank you for writing an article about this important topic.
I juiced celery in the blender – it was OK – I don’t like pulpy/thick drinks so it was a challenge to drink. But I’ll keep working on it. I absolutely hate doing dishes & clean-up. So what is your recommendation/opinion on how long I could store juiced celery & other vegetables jarred in the fridge before they lose nutrients?
I’ve just started making smoothies a few months ago with a nutribullet. Would celery in a smoothie be beneficial? Thank you.
we were recommended this by our N.T. and most of our family did this for about 9m. Including our children (they drank much lesser amounts, from 1-8oz.). It took a good month or maybe longer (I don’t remember) to clear up the diarrhea that it caused. It was then my further suspicion that about every 2-3m after that, the celery juice caused my husband to be flat -out sick with diarrhea for a solid day or even two (I.e. in the bathroom literally every 10-15minutes all night long), causing him to miss work. We burned out a juicer. I saw some benefits in our 10yr old w/digestive issues, my husband enjoyed drinking it, but not being sick. So we have stopped. I want to make sure that his issues were caused by the celery and not something else. For us, It wasn’t the best thing.
What kind of juicer do you recommend ?
I have one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8006HDS-Dual-Stage-Masticating-Revolutions/dp/B07GWNHDXH/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=5b73cf46e5aaf7c2011490a9f2712163&language=en_US
Hello Kathy, I think the juicer that Katie recommended is great! I personally have the same brand but the vertical version of it which makes it much easier to use and it’s a little more versatile in my opinion.
Wish you a wonderful day!
I’ve been juicing celery for the past 6 months and have seen amazing benefits in the way of clearing me from brain fog, symptoms of hashimotos, digestive help, energy, feeling more hydrated. I recently began using powdered celery and so far I feel just as good as when I juice it.
Why do you remove the leaves?
Thanks,
Lori
I think deviating from Anthony William’s advice about not mixing freshly juiced celery with anything else, including water and ice cubes, is not very helpful to those you’re trying to encourage to drink celery juice! You also admit to not drinking it everyday and suggesting that people drink/mix it however they think is right, which is totally against William’s instructions. Why read about and recommend his protocol and then completely disregard his instructions?
I don’t fully agree with his protocol, nor do I think it’s a good idea for most people. But he is one of the more outspoken proponents of celery juice and I wanted to present his perspective in this post. My personal recommendation (and what I do myself) is different from his protocol.
I was wondering if it is okay to add anything such as cajun or any other seasonings to the celery juice? Does that decrease health benefits?
Thanks!
The studies I’ve seen are all related to just celery juice without anything else added, so I’d stick with just that…
okay…thank you!
Hi Katie,
I tried making this recipe in my Vitamix Blender and was not successful. I love celery and love celery juice. Can you recommend something else I can do to make celery juice? If not, how much celery will I need to eat to get the health benefits? Also, if I drink the juice without taking out the pulp, will this hinder any of celery’s benefits?
Thanks,
Carol
Carol, I make my celery juice in a vitamix. It’s really important to use the tamping tool that comes with the vitamix in order to get it going and chopped up at the bottom towards the blade, then I increase the speed just a bit to get it all blending together. Also, I don’t add water.
I have been juicing celery for about nine months on and off. I have to say that it definitely helps aid digestion (I can hear my digestive juices going nuts after I’ve eaten). I also noticed my headaches went away while I juiced as well as a boost in my energy throughout the day. One benefit I am really excited about is that it has calmed my anxious stomach! When I travel, I get kinda nervous/anxious and the last time I took a big trip to Europe I had been juicing for 8 days leading up to the trip- my stomach and intestines were super relaxed the whole trip! I definitely have experienced the benefits and will continue to juice.
Thank you for the article Katie! I am looking forward to trying plain celery juice first thing in the morning. I have tried green juices before that had celery but not exclusively and I remember immediately feeling the benefits of it – an immediate boost of energy.
Do you drink it everyday?
Have you noticed any difference with drinking plain celery juice?
Not everyday day as I don’t think it’s good to take or consume anything every single day, but I will go in phases of a few weeks and up to a month where I’ll drink it first thing in the morning…
I’ve been drinking straight celery juice, off and on for several months based on those books. I have a handful of autoimmune disorders, so this was just another tool in the chest to try. I have seen some improvement in my chronic inflammation and most noticeably my acid reflex. Despite not loving the taste, I sure feel great on the days I drink it. Other days I do different combinations via juicing, smoothies or supplements. Interestingly I do not have any desire for my daily cup of coffee or tea when I start the morning with celery juice. Just my experience, cheers!
Thank you for this! I’ve just started juicing celery (3 days ago!) as I heard it’s good for naturally helping with acid reflux. It’s an alkaline food and neutralises and soothes the throat and Esophagus. I have mixed my celery with carrots, cucumber and ginger.