Amount of calories in celery

Celery is a plant from the same family as parsley and fennel, the Umbelliferae family. The ribs of celery are crispy and are frequently used to make soups or salads. It has a salty taste, and tastes nice in a mixture with the sweeter fruit juices.

Nutritional value of celery

Celery is a rich source of vitamin A, which is found mostly in the leaves of celery. Stems are full with vitamin B1, B2, B6 and C. Celery stems are a great source of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and essential amino acids. Celery contains natural organic sodium, which is not harmful like a table salt. Even the persons with high blood pressure may use celery without any harmful effects.

Calories in celery

Celery is a natural metabolism boosting food. Celery falls in the category of foods they are also known as “negative calorie foods” because body needs more calories to perform the act of digestion, than the food itself contains. Celery is in fact full of latent energy, but the plant's composition only allows us to metabolize a small portion. The energy is packed in the form of cellulose, a complex sugar which humans are unable to metabolize. Celery is not difficult to digest, but it provides fewer calories than what is needed to digest it - so the overall effect is called "negative calories". A stick of celery has 6 calories, and the body uses 6 calories to digest it.

100 grams of celery cooked with salt contains 27 calories. 100 grams of celery cooked without salt contains 16 calories. A stalk of 64 grams contains 10 calories. An average stalk of 40 grams contains 6 calories. A stick of 28 grams contains 4 calories.

Health benefits of celery

Celery has many important beneficial effects on human’s health. It is mainly associated with lowering blood pressure. However, recent studies report significant benefits in treatment of cancer. Minerals from celery juice provide the optimal balance of the body’s pH, and may help to neutralize acidity. A great tonic helps to restore electrolytes and properly hydrate the body.

Celery contains acetylenics, natural compounds that have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells, and phenolic acids which blocks the lipid compounds that encourage the growth of tumor cells. It also has a powerful antioxidant effect and may help to eliminate free radicals.

Celery juice also lowers the bad cholesterol and serves as a natural laxative. The polyacetylene in celery helps to fight inflammation and brings a relief in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, asthma, and bronchitis. It lowers the blood pressure, promotes normal kidney function and calms the nervous system.