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Page 69
| You may think of celery as the stalky equivalent of iceberg lettucesomething innocuous and low-calorie to crunch. In fact, unlike that pallid salad fare, celery, and celery seeds, are packed with healthy goodnesspretty remarkable in a food that's almost 90 percent water! |
| F.Y.I. |
| If you are sensitive to salt, don't go over-board eating celery. Too much might to more harm than good to your blood pressure, since celery contains 35 milligrams of sodium per stalk. |
| Diuretic Action |
| Celery's diuretic properties have been known for centuries. By stimulating urine production, celery helps the body get rid of excess fluid and uric acid, which can aggravate joint pain associated with arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. Celery also contains insoluble fiber, which helps move other waste more quickly through and out of the body. |
| The combination of potassium and sodium in celery are essential to regulating fluid balance, which affects every part of the body. |
| Cancer Prevention |
| Researchers have discovered a number of compounds in celery that act as antioxidants, helping to prevent cancer or cancer growth. Phenolic acids help stop free radicals from damaging normal cells and making them cancerous; they also help neutralize carcinogenic substances such as nitrosamines, which can be formed when you eat foods containing nitrates (a common additive). And celery compounds called acetylenics have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. |
| Pressure Drop |
| Celery has been used for centuries as a remedy for lowering high blood pressure, and scientists recently discovered why it works: a chemical compound called phthalide helps blood vessels to |
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