Celery is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins. This vegetable has been used for centuries in culinary and traditional medicine, and its nutritional value and health benefits are well understood.
This article will tell you in detail about the benefits of celery for women and men. The composition of the vegetable and its nutritional indicators will be considered.
Description
This green vegetable belongs to the Umbrella family (Apiaceae). Celery began to be eaten in the 17th century. Since then, many people have grown fond of it; they began to plant and distribute it around the world. Today, the vegetable grows on all continents of the Earth, with the exception of the territory of Antarctica.
Health benefits of celery are due to the fact that this vegetable is an excellent source of healthy minerals, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. It is worthwhile to consider in more detail the chemical composition of celery and understand which substances are included in it.
Chemical composition
The benefits of this vegetable are determined by a unique set of substances that it contains. Vitamins and minerals of celery are well studied. Therefore, it is worth considering them.
So, the composition of celery (per 100 g of product) includes the following vitamins:
- Vitamin K - 29.00 mcg;
- vitamin A - 750 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 38.00 mg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.02 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.10 mg;
- Vitamin B4 - 6.00 mg;
- Vitamin B5 - 0.2 mg;
- Vitamin B6 –0.08 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 21.00 mcg;
- Vitamin E - 0.5 mg.
And the composition of world and macro elements is as follows:
- iodine - 7.00 mcg;
- iron - 1.3 mg;
- copper - 35.00 mcg;
- zinc - 0.1 mg;
- nickel - 14.00 mcg;
- selenium - 0.4 mcg;
- cobalt - 0.8 mcg;
- lithium - 8.00 mcg;
- fluorine - 4.00 mcg;
- vanadium - 24.00 mcg;
- Manganese - 0.1 mg;
- boron - 72.00 mcg;
- chromium - 2.00 mcg.
Celery is a rich source of phenolic phytonutrients. These phytonutrients include the following substances:
- caffeic acid;
- caffeoylquinic acid;
- cinnamic acid;
- coumaric acid;
- ferulic acid;
- apigenin, luteolin;
- quercetin;
- kempferol;
- lunulin;
- beta sitosterol;
- furanocoumarins.
It is these substances that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Nutrition Facts of Celery
Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are equally important in the human diet. The composition of the BJU (per 100 g of product) is as follows:
- proteins - 0.91 g (which is almost 1% of the average human consumption);
- fats - 0.10 g (0.14% of the norm of consumption);
- carbohydrates - 2.10 g (1.4% of the norm).
In addition, the composition of celery (per 100 g) contains 1.8 g of dietary fiber and 94 g of water. It is also worth paying attention to the calorie content of this vegetable - in its fresh form it contains only 13 kcal. Such an indicator suggests that the product can be included in a healthy diet without any fear.
Benefit
Having figured out the composition of celery, it is worth understanding what it can bring benefits to the human body. Scientists have been able to establish that celery extract reduces the risk of oxidative damage to body fat and blood vessel walls. In addition, it was proved that the use of this vegetable can prevent the occurrence of inflammatory reactions in the digestive tract. In addition, animal studies have shown the ability of celery extract to protect the digestive tract and liver after eating acrylamides. Acrylamides are potentially toxic substances that are formed in food during frying as a result of the reaction of sugars and amino acids.
There is an opinion of scientists that due to the composition of celery it is possible to improve the integrity of the gastric mucosa. This, in turn, reduces the risk of gastric ulcer and maintains a normal level of secretion. These data have not yet been confirmed by clinical trials, but their implementation is planned in the near future.
In addition, it was found that the chemical composition of celery favorably affects the immune and nervous systems, helps the body absorb proteins better. Celery can also be used for the prevention of atherosclerosis and in the treatment of kidney disease, hypertension and the genitourinary system.
Harm and contraindications
We considered the useful properties of celery, however, there are a number of cases when it is not worth eating. So, experts recommend excluding vegetable from the diet:
- with colitis;
- during exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and genitourinary system;
- with varicose veins;
- with individual intolerance.
Celery should not be used by pregnant and lactating women. Vegetable adversely affects lactation and gives milk a very specific taste. In addition, women need to abandon celery during menstruation.
Cooking and Storage Tips
Edible and healthy are all parts of the plant, including leaves, stems, roots and seeds. Therefore, you can without fear buy any part of the plant and be sure that it can be used.
Most of all vitamin C, calcium and potassium are found in celery leaves. However, they must be used within a day or two days, as they are poorly stored. Leaves can be used in salads, and seeds will be the perfect spice for hot dishes. But celery root is a very versatile product. You can bake it, make cream soup from it, add it to a salad or just use it in a crushed form.
To peel celery, you need to cut the stems and leaves from the root, and then wash them under running water. If there are fibrous strands on the outside of the celery stalk, you need to remove them by making a thin horizontal incision at one end of the stalk and simply pulling on the fibers. The root can be peeled on the principle of peeling potatoes - just cutting off the top layer from it.
Celery should not be stored at room temperature for more than a few hours. This is due to the fact that heat will contribute to the evaporation of water, as a result of which celery will quickly fade. If the stems and leaves still began to lose their freshness, it is necessary to immerse them in a small amount of water and leave in the refrigerator for several hours.
Application in cosmetology
You can use this vegetable not only in cooking, but also as the main ingredient for the preparation of cosmetic masks, scrub or facial tonic. Home-made celery cosmetics can greatly benefit the skin, namely:
- will have an anti-inflammatory effect;
- moisturizes the skin;
- make the skin soft, delicate and radiant.
In its pure form, celery juice can be used to cleanse problem skin. One has only to squeeze it from the stems and wipe the face. To enhance the effect, experts recommend making ten-minute compresses. To do this, moisten gauze in celery juice and distribute it across the face. After ten minutes, you need to remove the compress and wash with warm water. Such procedures will help to overcome acne, irritation and other shortcomings.
To make a tonic from celery, you should grind about 100 grams of stems and pour the resulting mass with a glass of boiling water. The mixture is infused for 4 hours, and then well filtered and poured into a convenient container for use. Wipe your face with such a tonic twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. This will help to deal with oily skin, acne and other deficiencies. Keeping a tonic is best in the refrigerator.
Ground leaves and stalks of celery will be an excellent ingredient for homemade masks. It can be supplemented with other nutritious products - milk, honey, cottage cheese, etc. To withstand home masks on the face you need no more than 15-20 minutes.
Conclusion
Having learned what is included in the composition, with which micro and macro elements the vegetable is filled, and which vitamins in celery play the main role, we can conclude that this is a very useful product. It practically has no harmful properties, and contraindications to use apply to a small group of people. Therefore, if a person is not at risk, he can include celery in the diet without any fear.
The benefit of celery for women and men is that the vegetable fills the body with various substances that can relieve inflammation, improve the digestive tract, as well as the cardiac, nervous, immune and vascular systems. Therefore, summing up, it can be noted that this vegetable will fill various dishes with an original taste and improve the condition of the whole organism.