Conflicting dietary information surrounds
the nutritional value of celery. Certain individuals believe
that celery is a negative-calorie food. Since, it requires
more energy to digest the light green vegetable, people contend
that celery consumed in ample supply can help dieters lose
weight. Alternatively, others counter celery's ability to
burn calories. Regardless of what people believe about celery
and its nutritional worth, a number of facts and data prove
the stalk-like vegetable to offer a number of health benefits:
• A flavorful,
crunchy veggie, celery contains a miniscule amount of calories
and carbohydrates.
• Substituting
celery, for other foods high in calories and carbohydrates,
can reduce one's daily caloric intake coupled with improving
the nutrition.
• There
are a whopping 13 calories, one gram of fiber and three grams
of carbohydrates in two average-sized ribs of celery.
• Approximately,
nine percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin
C is contained in 2 stalks of celery.
B-6 (3
percent)
Calcium (3 percent)
Folacin (6 percent)
Iron (2 percent)
Potassium (7 percent)
Riboflavin (1 percent)
Niacin (1 percent)
Vitamin A (1 percent)
Vitamin K (35 percent)
Thiamin (1 percent)
Zinc (1 percent)
• Two
ribs of celery are equivalent to the caloric value of one-fifth
of an orange and an eighth of an apple.
• In
ancient medicine, celery was used to detoxify the body or
free the body of toxins. Scientists theorize that celery can
act as a moderate diuretic effect.
• Pthalides
are substances found in celery. In laboratory experiments,
extracts were taken from celery and tested on rats. The findings
showed celery to relax muscles in the arteries, suggesting
that celery may potentially reduce cholesterol and fend off
various types of cancer.
