Various Benefits of Celery for Health

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is a versatile plant, especially as vegetables and medicines. Celery is one of the commercial vegetables that can provide additional income. Celery general use as vegetables. Many of people use the leaves, stems, and tubers as a soup mixture. Leaves are also used as salad or cut into small pieces and then sown on top of food as a complementary cuisine.

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) belongs to the family Apiaceae and is one of the vegetable commodities that are widely used for flavoring and decorating dishes. Celery seeds are also used as herbs and flavorings and the seed oil extract is effective as a medicine. Basically the prospect of celery is very bright, both in the domestic  and overseas as export commodities, but celery cultivation has not been maximized and has not received priority as a main commodity.

Celery plants are one of the leaf vegetables that have many benefits, among others, can be used as a complement to cuisine and has the properties as a medicine. Celery plants also contain lots of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and other nutrients that are quite high. In 100 g of celery there are 130 IU of vitamin A, 0.03 mg of vitamin B, 0.9 g of protein, 0.1 g of fat, 4 g of carbohydrate, 0.9 g of fiber, 50 mg of calcium, 1 mg of iron, 0.005 mg of riboflavin , 0.003 mg thiamine, 0.4 mg nicotinamide, 15 mg ascorbic acid, and 95 ml of water.

Celery originates from subtropical regions of Europe and Asia, which are found at an altitude of 900 m above sea level. In Indonesia, many areas planted with celery include Cipanas, Pangalengan, and Bandungan. Initially celery is known as a vegetable supplement. However, based on the results of a pharmacological analysis it was found that almost all parts of the plant had medicinal properties. Celery root is efficacious as a diuretic and scomacic. The seeds and fruit are efficacious as antispasmodics, reduce blood uric acid levels, antirheumatic, carminative, aphrodisiac, and sedative. Celery is also useful for lowering blood pressure (hypotensive), cleansing the blood, improving disrupted hormone function, and releasing high uric acid. After further investigation, celery also acts as an anticancer.

Celery is known as Apium graveolans linn. Celery is an herbal plant that is widely used by the community as a medicine for hypertension. Based on its shape, celery plants can be divided into three groups. Leaf celery is a celery that is widely grown in Indonesia.

Celery leaves are ovoid and consist of three lobes with a length of 2-4.5 cm. Celery leaves are dark green, slippery, wedge-shaped, with serrated edges, located on both sides of the stalk opposite. The flowers are small and white gray which bloom from July to November.

Some researchers revealed that celery seed extract can inhibit the growth of a number of cancer cells including CEM-C7H2 lymphoblastic leukemia cells. The anticancer effect of celery is caused by the phthalide content in celery seeds. In traditional medicine, celery extract has been used as an antihypertensive drug and the efficacy has been proven by previous researchers. Celery can be used as a cholesterol lowering agent because of the presence of unsaturated fatty acids in celery plants.

From the research that has been done it can be seen that almost all parts of celery plants contain chemicals and nutrients that are useful for health. Celery plants are plants that have properties as traditional medicinal ingredients that have anti-hypertensive effects, mild diuretics and antiseptics in the urinary tract and antirheumatic. Chemical substances contained in celery are flavonoids, saponins, tannins, apiin, essential oils, apigenin, choline, vitamin A, B, C, asparagin bitter substances. Flavonoid compounds are the largest secondary metabolites in celery plants. Flavonoids are one of the biggest phenol groups. Flavonoid compounds have antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic, antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral and influence on the central nervous system. Flavonoids are typical of green plants and are found in all parts of plants, especially in the leaves. Flavonoids are polar compounds because they have a number of unsubstituted hydroxyl groups. Polar solvents such as ethanol, methanol, ethylacetate, or mixtures of these solvents can be used to extract flavonoids from plant tissue. Taking active ingredients from a plant, can be done by extraction.

Celery (Apium graveolens linn) has the properties of growing hair, blackening hair, and preventing hair loss. Sodium, vitamins A and B, calcium, and iron are some of the componen found in celery. The nutritional content of celery makes celery known to stimulate hair growth and keep hair healthy and shiny. Celery has a high nutrient content. Celery contains a lot of calcium, iron, sodium, vitamins A and B. Celery is also known as a natural ingredient that can prevent hair baldness. Celery is used to stimulate hair growth, making hair grow healthy and shiny. The ability of celery in nourishing hair does not only apply to adults. The efficacy of celery as a hair fertilizer can also be used to fertilize baby hair.

Celery can stimulate hair growth. Celery leaves contain apiin compounds, apigenin, manitol, inositol, asparagina, glutamine, choline, linamarose potassium and sodium. Apigenin is formed from the process of hydrolysis of apiin (flavonoid glycosides) which is assisted by stomach acid (HCL) and is an active substance that is efficacious to overcome inflammation. Apigenin is the main chemical content of celery and is known to have an activity as a vasodilator which can also stimulate hair growth. The content of celery which is rich in phthalides, magnesium, apigenin and potassium is very good for blood vessels, it turns out to play a role in spurring hair growth.

Chronic inflammation has long been linked to causes of many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and arthritis. Celery contains antioxidants and polysaccharides known as anti-inflammation, especially antioxidants flavonoids and polyphenols. Researchers have identified more than a dozen types of antioxidants that work in celery, including phenolic acids such as caffeic acid and ferulic acid. Plus flavaol like quercetin. This makes celery useful for treating various conditions due to inflammation.

Celery is very low in calories. Its ability to provide essential nutrients and help regulate fat metabolism (fat) can be the food of choice when you want to lose weight. One of the main benefits of celery is a very dense nutrient content. This means that celery has antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, B vitamins and potassium, with very little calories.

Celery contain pectin-based polysaccharides known as apiuman, which has been proven to overcome ulcers. This content helps increase protection in the stomach lining, and modulates gastric secretion. High celery water content is around 95%, plus soluble and insoluble fiber. All ingredients are good for the digestive tract. One cup of celery sticks can meet the needs of 5 grams of dietary fiber.

Celery serves as a cholesterol-lowering which makes it useful to improve or maintain heart health. Celery contains a unique compound called 3-n-butylphthalide (BuPh) which can reduce lipids, but researchers believe celery has many other beneficial compounds. In a study conducted by the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Singapore, when rats were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks, rats given celery extract showed significantly lower lipid levels in their blood compared to rats that did not receive celery extract. The group of mice given the celery diet also reduced cholesterol levels of triglyceride concentrations.