CELERY
HIGH in Fibre
HIGH in Vitamin A and folate
LOW Glycaemic index
LOW in kilojoules
A great source of Vit K
Also has Vit C, B6 and riboflavin
Recently we have begun to harvest some celery – whilst not exactly “shop quality” , it is still edible and of course will taste great.
It belongs to the apiaceae family (carrots and parsley are in this group as well) with the edible part being the leaf stalk or petiole. However the seeds are also important for an oil used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals or as a flavouring for other foods.
History
Celery originally was a swamp plant and prefers moist fertile soil that is slightly alkaline. It has been used medicinally for thousands of years with evidence from ancient Egypt including garlands of celery on the tomb of Tutankhamun. Celsus, a Roman medical practitioner about AD 30, recorded in De Medicina that it can be used to relieve pain from arthritis or other causes. In another famous ancient text, Homer's Iliad, the horses of Myrmidon grazed on wild celery.
Health Benefits
Food plants of the Apiaceae family (carrots, celery and parsley) contain polyacetylenes which have an anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting effect. They are also are cytotoxic to fungi and bacteria and possibly have an anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells.
A reason that some people develop a skin reaction to this plant group is a chemical called falcarinol. This blocks an endocannabinoid receptor in skin cells which results in the release of histamine and an allergy reaction.
With regards to lowering blood pressure a recent (2013) study indicated that an alcohol based extract of celery seeds does indeed lower blood pressure in laboratory rats with hypertension. There are similar reports that it lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides in rats on a high fat diet.
Arthritis pain relief – the research is “thin on the ground” but a pilot study from University of Queensland indicates that it possibly is effective for gout and osteoarthritic pain. However there really isn't any decent trials to confirm this.
Being high in Vitamin K means it will cause problems if Warfarin is being taken
Finally - the aroma and taste is due to 3-n-Butylphthalide.
