Celery Is A Low Calorie Super Food - 10 Healthful Benefits Of Celery

A skinny green stalk of celery boasts a shopping cart full of benefits.

Celery is 95% water but packed in the remaining 5% are a miraculous collection of some of the most vital nutrients. It is all too often considered just a simple garnish in a Bloody Mary, but this fiber-filled wonder finds its place among some of the top candidates for weight loss and lowering high blood pressure.

10 Healthful Benefits of Celery

1. Loaded with fiber (cellulose), it works toward weight loss and fighting bad cholesterol. Adding a single stalk to your daily food intake will give you a tremendous boost toward your weight-loss goals. The plant hormones in this super food tend to calm your central nervous system, facilitating weight-loss efforts.

2. According to Chinese Medicine studies, it is a great source of active plant phthalides, which reduce the stress hormones and allow artery walls to relax-thus lowering high blood pressure

3. Celery is an alkaline food stuff, off-setting the acidic effects of eating too much meat. The human body is alkaline in nature and highly acidic blood is thought to cause considerable damage to many body functions.

4. The leaves of this plant contain a bounty of flavonoid antioxidants that include lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. Unfortunately many grocers trim off the leaves so this benefit is lost. Antioxidants are needed for their cancer-fighting, immune system strengthening- qualities.

5. Some natural healing forms of medical treatments use the seeds of the plant for the treatment of the common cold, arthritis, spleen and liver ailments. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center celery seeds benefit good urine flow-a frequent problem among us senior citizens. Research is underway to examine the possibility that these seeds may also fight inflammation and also arthritis complications.

6. Celery... taken as a whole is one of the smart-carbohydrates as contrasted with potatoes. rice and other starchy foods.

7. The essential oils from this simple green stalk are used to combat nervousness and even some forms of gout and osteoarthritis.

8. The roots and seeds also augment breast milk secretion-certainly not a concern for us old folks.

9. This super food mixes with virtually any prepared dishes: from raw salads to cooked spaghetti sauce (one of my favorites). I love the added crunch.

10. Mix it in fresh fruit salads too. And it even provides a bounty of great nutrition when cooked.

In review... here's what you can expect from this super food:

· Vitamins A, K and C plus folate and potassium.

· The high fiber content helps to reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol

· The juice from the plant has been tested to lower blood pressure, when consumed on a regular basis

· Storage advice: keep celery refrigerated. When the stalks go limp, trim off a little of the bottom and let it soak in a glass of cool water.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com