Top 8 Reasons to Grow Celery in Your Garden

Sharon Moore May 04, 2015

When it comes to weight loss, celery is among the top choices of dieters. And that is because it has very few calories (around 10 per stalk). But the benefits of celery go beyond promoting fat loss. Crunchy celery contains tons of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that are essential for your health.

And the great news is that growing celery in your very own garden is fairly easy. It simply needs more water than other plants. Other than that, it doesn’t require too much care and attention.

Here are the top reasons why you should grow celery in your garden and make it a part of your regular diet:

It’s a nutritional powerhouse.

Celery is an excellent source of vitamin K and molybdenum, as well as folate, potassium, dietary fibre, manganese, and pantothenic acid. It also has ample amount of vitamins A, B2, B6 and C, copper, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. You get all these from just one stalk of celery!

It helps keep your body hydrated.

Celery is about 95 per cent water, which makes it a good way to sustain fluids in your body. It is a great snacking option during hot summer months. Add a stalk of celery in your icy smoothie for a refreshing and really healthy drink!

It promotes digestion.

Celery contains fibre, which benefits your digestive health. Fibre helps keep your bowel movements regular and healthy, which aids in constipation and weight management. Some studies also suggest that the antioxidants in celery may help improve stomach lining and reduce the risk of gastric ulcer.

It’s a remedy for heartburn.

Celery is considered low in acid, and is prescribed to patients suffering from acid reflux or heartburn.

It may promote heart health.

Being rich in fibre, celery also provides significant benefits for people having a hard time managing their cholesterol levels. According to a study carried out by researchers from University of Chicago, a compound in celery, called phthalide, may reduce bad cholesterol levels by 7 per cent and blood pressure by 14 per cent. Another study, reported in the Natural Medicine Journal, scientists saw a reduction in blood pressure among mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients who took celery seed extract for six weeks.

It has anti-cancer properties.

Like many other green foods, celery contains loads of antioxidants, flavonoids and phytonutrients that are associated with reduced cancer risk. One study which appeared in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research journal found that a compound in celery provides protective benefits against the formation of pancreatic tumours. Another study shows the same protective benefits, this time against breast cancer.

It helps fight inflammation.

A study published in the Nutrition and Cancer journal showed that celery is a significant source of flavonols and flavone antioxidants which are helpful in fighting inflammation. These antioxidants include lutein, flavonols like kaempferol and quercetin, phytosterols, dihydrostilbenoids and furanocoumarins.

It can amp your sex life.

This benefit might come as a surprise to you but yes, adding celery in your regular diet can help boost your sex life. Celery has gotten buzz in recent years for its purported arousing benefits. According to studies, celery contains androstenone and androstenol which are male pheromones. Whether this is true or not, eating nutritious foods such as celery, is still one proven strategy to improve your sex life and reproductive health.