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Health Benefits of Celery Seeds

Celery seed does not find its use only in cuisines, but also in herbal medicines. The information throws light on some of the important health benefits of this seed.
Kalpana Kumari
Celery is a biennial plant that belongs to parsley family. Its botanical name is Apium graveolens.
Celery mainly grown in India and France, but is not restricted to these parts of the world.
It blossoms in the months of June and July. The flowers are small in size and white in color.
It produces smooth, gray-textured fruits. Celery is basically known as a vegetable and widely used in different dishes for its nutritional value. It is sour to bitter in taste.
The dried fruit of celery is called celery seed. Celery seed is low in calorie count, and therefore, is a preferred diet food. However, it has numerous medicinal values as well.

Health Benefits

Here are the health benefits of celery seed:
● It contains several families of components like polyacetylenes and phthalides, that are known to fight cancer.
● It helps lower high blood pressure to a significant level. Hence, daily intake of celery seed is good for maintaining your blood pressure.
● It is known to protect the liver from the harmful effects of acetaminophen, which is an over-the-counter analgesic. Higher doses of acetaminophen causes adverse effects on the liver. Regular consumption of celery seed is reported to balance it up. This fact is not yet scientifically proven.
● It reduces the level of cholesterol in the body. Reduction in artery-clogging cholesterol, lowers the risk of heart attack. Herbalists commonly make use of celery seeds to treat circulatory system disorder.
● It contains various substances like flavonoids, coumarins, linoleic acids, and different volatile oils. Because of all these components, celery seed substitutes many medicines and drugs in treating a wide variety of ailments. However, you need to consult a doctor before you use it.
● It is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Its regular intake helps relieve swelling and pain around the joints. This is the reason why it is used as an alternative treatment for arthritis, gout, and rheumatism.
● It is an uterine stimulant and is known to ease muscle cramps, specifically of the female reproductive tract. This makes it suitable to be used during menstrual cramps and pain.
● It has diuretic property, which increases urination. This helps flush out excess water and toxins like uric acid from the body. As a result, it is recommended for patients with kidney stones, gout, and obesity.
● It is known to be antiseptic and antibiotic in nature. These properties make it useful to treat various types of infection occurring in the body, especially, urinary tract infection. Herbalists commonly prescribe it for curing cystitis, and bladder and kidney disorders.
You may derive the health benefits of celery seeds in many ways. Most of the people prefer to add its dried form to dishes. It enhances the flavor of spicy foods. There are some who like to use the seed extract to make creamy, rich base of vegetable soups.
You may make celery seed tea by boiling a teaspoon of dried seeds in a cup of water for about 5-7 minutes. Tablets and capsules containing its extract or oil are also available in the market.
Since celery seed is a uterine stimulant, it is not recommendable for pregnant women. It also increases photosensitivity of the skin. Therefore, it is never prescribed to patients of photodermatitis.
Except these risks, the seed is absolutely safe for nutritional and medicinal purposes. However, it will be good if you discuss your state of health with a doctor prior to its usage. This will rule out any possibility of adverse effects on your wellness.
Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.