Written by: Vivian E. Schemper, Nutrition and Wellness Specialist

SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING CELERY JUICE?

If you have been scrolling through your Instagram feed lately, you may have noticed some of your favorite celebrity or influencer accounts promoting a celery juice cleanse. The celery juice trend is the latest dietary craze taking over the internet. Proponents claim that drinking celery juice can detox your liver, improve digestion, and restore health. The concept seems simple: blend celery stalks until it turns into a juice, drink it in the morning, and wait for the health benefits to kick in. This all sounds nice, but is there any truth to these claims?

THE CLAIMS
Celebrities and influencers recommend drinking 16 ounces of fresh-pressed celery juice every morning on an empty stomach to transform your health and digestion in as little as one week.

THE SCIENCE
Celery is a plant rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals. These naturally occurring compounds have been shown to reduce inflammation and possibly reduce autoimmune symptoms and disease risk. While celery contains these disease-fighting compounds, most fruits and vegetables do too. This means that you can blend any vegetable or fruit and get many of the same benefits you would get from drinking celery juice.

It is true that celery has a slight diuretic effect, which can help reduce water-retention and bloating. Losing excess water can help you lose weight (not fat- just water weight) and give the appearance of a flatter stomach. Staying hydrated throughout the day and managing your salt intake can prevent bloating and fluid retention. Celery juice (or any food or supplement) will NOT detoxify your blood or liver. Your pH levels will not change as a result of this beverage. Our livers do a wonderful job of detoxifying our bodies and no amount of superfood, super juice, or fancy supplement will help your body detoxify more.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Drinking celery juice can be excellent way to get antioxidants and nutrients. Keep in mind that unsweetened celery juice can be very bitter. If you enjoy the taste, have a glass from time to time. Eating whole celery will provide you with vitamins C and K, potassium, magnesium, iron, and other nutrients. You do not need to drink it in juice form in order to get benefits. Just remember that you can get many of the same nutrients from eating a variety of whole fruits and vegetables.

In the mood for a green drink that’s not just blended celery? Here’s an easy and delicious recipe that gives you three (yep, three!) vegetable servings per glass.

APPLE-KALE GREEN SMOOTHIE

Makes 2 servings
Gluten-free | vegetarian | vegan-option

Ingredients

2 cups kale, roughly chopped, stems removed.
1/4 large lemon peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
½ large cucumber cut into long strips
1 large granny smith apples cored and sliced
2 whole celery stalks
½ tablespoon honey (optional)
3-4 ice cubes (optional)

Directions
Blend the ingredients until very smooth and homogenous in color. Add 1/4 cup water if needed to keep the mixture moving smoothly through the blender.
Add the honey, blend, and taste. Adjust as necessary (add more ginger, more water, more ice, etc.). Serve immediately. Enjoy!