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The science behind the celery juice craze

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What's all the hype around celery juice?
What's all the hype around celery juice?

What is the deal with celery juice? With 129k plus #celeryjuice posts on Instagram, it’s clearly a thing.

Is this another fad diet that dieticians are rolling their eyes at, or is there some science backing up the new trend? We did some research to get to the juice of the craze.

Related: 14 Delicious Easy Lunches That Will Help You Lose Weight

What are the benefits?

First up, it’s an aphrodisiac. For many years it was believed to be a myth. However, recent studies show that this may in fact be true. Celery contains the steroid hormone androsterone which causes the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to increase levels of 1-testosterone. Androsterone is found in sweat and it is believed that men who eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables- as opposed to meat- smell better.

Related: These Foods Are All Natural Aphrodisiacs, Add Them To Your Dinner Tonight

Not only does celery amp up your libido, it has also been used as a medicine over the past 3000 years. In fact, it was used as medicine way before it was used as food. Why? For starters it has been known to help lower blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and improves blood flow. The stringy, bitter vegetable contains a bunch of nutrients such as vitamin K, potassium, folate, and fibre and has at least 12 kinds of antioxidants. In a study done on rats, the antioxidants that are present in celery proved to heal stomach ulcers caused by the consumption of alcohol. Hanging? Try eating some celery.

What are the dieticians saying?

Registered Nutritionist Rachel Goodman says “Celery is a good source of potassium, vitamin K, and flavonoids—compounds that have been shown in studies to help keep electrolyte balance, function as antioxidants, and can help lower blood pressure and inflammation” but she also states that celery is full of water (95% to be exact) and the extra hydration obviously plays an important role in the health benefits.

Other dieticians beg to differ, suggesting that there is nothing special about the vegetable and it is another diet craze that is being fueled by pseudoscience. As for juicing it, you’re losing what it’s truly rich in… fibre.

Registered Dieticians, Jessica Cox and Clarissa Mason from the JCN Clinic shared their two cents on the topic: “It has some amazing qualities, but so does an apple”. Although it’s a diuretic and it’s good for your kidneys, there are plenty other fruits and vegetables out there that have amazing health benefits too.

Related: The 7 Pineapple Benefits That Will Keep You Snacking

Our advice?

The most important thing is to have everything in moderation. So, jump off the bandwagon and mix up those fruits and veggies.

This article was originally published on www.mh.co.za

Image credit: iStock

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