Celery Benefits

Scientific Name(S): Apium graveolens L. var dulce (Mill.) Pers. Family: Umbelliferae

Common Name(S): Celery, celery seed, celery seed oil

Celery ( Apium graveolens dulce ) is a herbaceous biennial plant in the family Apiaceae , native to the coasts of western and northern Europe , most commonly in ditches and saltmarshes . It grows to 1 m tall, with pinnate to bipinnate leaves with rhombic leaflets 3-6 cm long and 2-4 cm broad. The flowers are creamy-white, 2-3 mm diameter, produced in dense compound umbels. The seeds are broad ovoid to globose, 1.5-2 mm long and wide. Celeriac ( Apium graveolens rapaceum ) is closely related.

History: Celery originated as a wild plant growing in salt marshes around the Mediterranean Sea. About 450 B.C., the Greeks used it to make a type of wine called selinites. It served as an award at early athletic games, much as laurel leaves or olive branches. By the Middle Ages, Europeans were cultivating celery. Since that time, the plant has been used widely both as a food and as a medicine.

Late in the 19th century, various celery tonics and elixirs appeared commercially. These generally contained the juice of crushed celery seeds, often with a significant amount of alcohol. Celery seed is mainly used as a diuretic for bladder and kidney complaints and for arthritis and rheumatism. Sedative effects have been produced from the essential oil. Celery continues to be used as a food flavor, in soaps and in gum. One product that is still available is a celery­flavored soda, Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray. Celery has become increasingly popular with dieters. This particular attractior
stems from celery's high fiber content and the (mistaken: belief that chewing and digesting the stalks uses more calories than celery contains.

Uses of Celery

The seed is used as a diuretic and as a treatment for arthritis and rheumatism. The seed oil has produced sedative effects. Celery has been used in herbal medicine to treat arthritis, nervousness, hysteria and various other conditions. The juice lowered blood pressure in several tested patients. Two components reduced tumors in mice

Side Effects of Celery

Some patients have experienced allergic responses, including anaphylaxis. There are many reports of dermatitis among those cultivating and processing celery. Some develop phototoxic lesions, often followed by disturbed pigmentation in the same areas. Certain compounds in diseased or damaged plants may be carcinogenic. Large doses of the oil may produce CNS depression.

Toxicology: Celery allergies in patients have led to urticaria and angioedema, respiratory complaints and anaphylaxis. IgE antibodies have been experimentally associated with mediating celery allergies. Since 1926, a number of sources have reported the occurrence of dermatitis in workers who cultivate or process celery. The dermatitis had been attributed to an allergic reaction to the volatile oil.

Some celery workers, primarily Caucasian, develop phototoxic bullous lesions. Workers in greenhouses are less susceptible to lesions than those who work outside. Once healed, the lesions often leave areas of depigmentation or hyperpigmentation. Significantly, the bullae develop only after contact with celery affected by "pink-rot" a condition caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Skin reactions probably result from exposure to a furocoumarin followed by exposure to sunlight (UVA light). The pink-rot apparently increases the availability of the furocoumarin. Use of a sunscreen can prevent this reaction. Furocoumarins may be carcinogenic, and their concentration increases 100-fold in celery that is injured or diseased. Large doses of the oil may induce CNS depression, although the specific toxic syndrome has not been well characterized.

Summary: Celery is a widely cultivated plant that remains popular, especially among dieters. It is a relatively poor source of vitamins and is relatively high in sodium. Contact with the plants by farmworkers or food processors may cause a phytophototoxic reaction that may be incapacitating. Ingestion of large amounts of celery oil may cause toxicity; however, the toxicity has not been well characterized in man. The medicinal uses for celery are beginning to be more thoroughly explored, particularly for potential anticancer properties.