Written by Taylor Vashro, Dietetic Intern, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
How many times have you heard, “drink this new beverage and you’ll have UNBELIEVABLE results!” These promised results are unbelievable because they’re usually not health claims you should believe. Celery juice is the new star in the world of cure-all drinks. Online supporters report celery juice has “an incredible ability to create sweeping improvements for all kinds of health issues.” However, the reality of drinking celery juice might be a lot less exciting than you think.
What’s the idea behind celery juice? Online sites claim celery juice is “one of the greatest healing tonics of all time” because when the celery is juiced “the healing benefits become much more powerful.” The health claims range from healing mental health conditions, infertility, chronic skin problems, cancer, high blood pressure, irregular bowel movements, and the removal of toxins from the body. To reap the benefits, an individual must drink 16 oz of fresh celery juice in the morning on an empty stomach. One bunch of celery yields about 16 oz juiced. In order to make this juice every morning, you would need a lot of celery on hand!
What’s the truth?
- There’s currently no research to support any of the health claims associated with drinking celery juice. There is also very little evidence to support health claims related to dietary cleanses or detoxes. Our body is actually made to detoxify everything we eat through the work of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. This means that a special drink is not going to magically fix or detoxify your body. The best thing you can do to “detox” your body is focus on eating a well-balanced diet.
- A well-balanced diet includes at least five servings of various fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function at its best. Celery is a wonderful low-calorie snack option; 1 large stalk (11-12”) provides 1g fiber, is a good source of zinc and an excellent source of vitamin K. However, the process of juicing the celery removes the fiber and ultimately reduces its ability to be a filling snack.
- Celery juice doesn’t actually taste good, in my opinion. Why force yourself to drink or eat something every day for a health claim that isn’t true? Find nutrient rich fruits and vegetables that you do like and savor the experience of eating them!
Bottom line? You’ve heard it before…if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Enjoy celery as a snack or juice, if you prefer, but this drink alone will not cure your health problems. Instead, try adding more fruit and vegetables to meals and snacks throughout the day and savor the taste, texture, and experience of eating these wonderful whole foods.
References:
Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD. “Celery Juice Is a Trendy Detox Drink, But Does It Actually Have Benefits?” Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, 5 Feb. 2019, health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-juice-is-a-trendy-detox-drink-but-does-it-actually-have-benefits/.
“Welcome to the USDA Food Composition Databases.” USDA Food Composition Databases, United States Department of Agriculture , Apr. 2019, ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/.
Wergin, Allie, RD. “10 Nutrition Myths Debunked,” Mayo Clinic Health System, 29 Mar. 2016, mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/10-nutrition-myths-debunked.
William, Anthony. “Celery Juice: Benefits, Tips & Recipe From The Medical Medium.” Goop, 28 Feb. 2019, goop.com/wellness/health/the-medical-medium-on-the-virtues-of-celery-juice.
