The use of celery seed in pills for relieving pain was described by Aulus Cornelius Celsus ca. 30 AD. Celery seeds contain a compound called 3-N-butyl-phthalide that has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure in rats.

Celery's high blood pressure reducing ability has long been known by Chinese medicine practitioners. Celery contains active compounds called phthalides, which help relax muscles around arteries and allow those vessels to dilate. With more space inside the arteries, the blood can flow at a lower pressure. Phthalides also reduce stress hormones, and causes blood vessels to constrict. When researchers injected 3-n-butyl phthalide derived from celery into laboratory animals, the animals' blood pressure dropped 12 to 14 percent. Drinking celery juice every day for a week significantly helps lower blood pressure. In studies of animals bred to have high cholesterol, celery's cholesterol-lowering activity has been seen. In eight weeks, celery (like celery juice) fed to specially bred high cholesterol animals significantly lowered their total cholesterol by increasing bile acid secretion, and thus celery can significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Cancer Protection

Research on celery was done by Cooks College, Rutgers University of New Jersey. They found celery helps prevent cancer. Celery is known to contain at least eight families of anti-cancer compounds. Among them is a compound called acetylenics and this has been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. In addition, celery contains another compound called phonolic acids, which block the action of hormonelike substances called prostaglandins and some prostaglandins are thought to increase the growth of tumor cells. And coumarins are contained in Celery which help prevent free radicals from damaging cells. The phytochemical coumarins prevent the formation and development of the colon and stomach cancers.

Diuretic

The seeds of celery's wild ancestors, which originated around the Mediterranean, were used as a diuretic. Celery, being rich in both potassium and sodium, the minerals most important for regulating fluid balance, stimulates urine production, thereby helping to rid the body of excess fluid. The potassium and sodium in celery juice aids in the regulation body fluid and stimulates urine production, making it helpful in ridding the body of excess fluid.

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Céleri-rave-fendu.jpg
• Taken by Fir0002, flagstaffotos.com.au, Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 only as published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "Text of the GNU Free Documentation License."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Celery_cross_section.jpg
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celery
• http://www.flowers.vg/flowers/celery.htm
• "Celery: Reduce high blood pressure, Lower the risk of cancer", http://foodsthatheal.blogspot.com/2007/06/celery.html.
• "Celery", http://www.juicing-for-health.com/health-benefits-of-celery.html