Is Celery Juice Good For You?

Is celery juice a magic health elixir?

Celery juice is the latest buzzword in the health and wellness world. Many are claiming celery juice has cleared their acne, psoriasis, and even various forms of autoimmune diseases.

This trend was made popular by the Medical Medium who claims that celery juice starves bacteria in the body, cleanses the liver, aids in digestion, and prevents ulcers.

The “how-to” of making celery juice

It is recommended that every morning you drink 16 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach, then wait 15-30 minutes before eating anything. According to the medical medium, the greatest benefits occur when celery is consumed alone.

Simply rinse and juice one bunch of celery; he recommends that you drink the juice immediately for the best results.

In addition to consuming celery juice daily, the medical medium encourages a plant-rich diet, plenty of hydration, while decreasing the amount of added sugars and preservatives consumed.

I am definitely on board with the whole foods, a plant-based approach he is encouraging, and his gluten-free and dairy-free recommendation is also one I stand behind.

Known benefits of celery

Celery is a good source of vitamins A, C, K, potassium, and fiber. Please note the fiber benefit only occurs when celery is consumed in the whole form, not when it’s juiced. It also contains various antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in digestion.

The medical medium states the components in the celery juice that are so beneficial to our health are “sodium cluster salts”. He claims these molecules are undiscovered by research, yet are a weapon against pathogens in our body. Unfortunately, he obtains his information exclusively through communication with spirits. There is no actual research to support it.

Are the results legitimate?

Some people are claiming that drinking celery juice has helped heal their skin conditions. I believe the cause is likely a combination of positive diet and lifestyle changes.

Consider this: if someone who was previously consuming a diet high in refined sugars and processed foods, transitioned to a plant-based diet, eliminated gluten and dairy, began their day with celery juice and drank 96 ounces of water daily do you think they would see an improvement in their health? Of course, they would!

What about some individuals who were already gluten, dairy, and sugar-free who did not see a change in their symptoms until they began consuming celery juice daily?

A celery caution

Celery is on the dirty dozen list, meaning that it has some of the highest levels of pesticide residue when compared to other produce items. Starting your day with celery juice rich in pesticides may be doing more harm than good. Therefore, when consuming celery, make sure it is always organic.

Celery is no better for you than cucumbers or kale, other a good source of vitamins, minerals, and hydration.

When you eat the same foods day after day, it is likely that you are missing out on other key vitamins and minerals. Starting your day with a glass of celery juice does not mean you can omit other veggies from your diet, something I’m concerned individuals are doing with this current fad.

Is dehydration the real problem?

It is possible people are seeing improvements in their symptoms simply due to increased hydration afforded by celery. Most Americans are dehydrated and starting the day off with two cups of celery juice is a great way to replace the water lost throughout the evening.

Juicing celery is a good way to slightly increase the servings of vitamins and minerals you are consuming, but there is not a major difference when compared to eating raw celery.

Missing fiber?

A liability of juicing is that it also removes most of the fiber, an important component which helps regulate satiety, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and promotes regular bowel movements, not to mention keeping your gut microbiome healthy.

With that said, drinking juiced vegetables is better than consuming no vegetables at all. And a glass of celery juice is more nutrient-dense than a glass of water or a latte.

Here’s what I think

There is not much research or scientific information regarding celery juice consumption. This includes the optimal amount to consume nor any potential interactions it may have with various medications.

Nutrition and diet are very personal and individualized; celery juice may help one individual improve their symptoms, while it may not affect another at all.

If you want to drink celery juice, go for it; it certainly can’t harm you, but I personally won’t be recommending it to our patients.

Let’s get you truly healthy

We don’t follow fads here at Root Cause. We use strong science and leading-edge nutrition to help our patients regain their health naturally.

If your health is not where you want it to be, we’re here to help you.

We create personalized programs to identify and address the underlying root cause of your health problems.

Is your problem a food-related one? Digestive imbalance? Immune weakness? Hormonal? Structural? Genetic?

Whatever it is, we do it all here at Root Cause. We don’t “hobby-horse” a particular diet, food, or supplement company. We discover what is compromising your health and assist in the removal of any burdens or stressors while allowing your body to heal.

We’re all pretty unique in how we got to our current health status, which is why it’s important to have many tools. As a team of doctors, we have many tests and tools at our disposal and we utilize those appropriate to you and your condition.

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Written by Rachel Mistry, Registered Dietitian.