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Although celery is often a complimentary addition to soups and dishes, its substantial health protection makes it a star player in any meal. Each stalk of celery, along with its seeds and leaves, contains vitamin K, folate, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin C, and molybdenum. It also contains a hefty dose of the unique compound 3-n-butylphthalide, which has shown to enhance cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Incorporating celery into your daily diet can provide numerous health benefits, from treating gout to safeguarding against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Celery's Tale
Celery (Apium graveolens) belongs to the Umbelliferae family and is derived from wild celery that contains more leaves and less stalks. Although celery is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean, it's also indigenous to India, Nepal, and China. It was first recognized for its medicinal properties as early as the 9th century before being utilized as a food source during the Middle Ages. Celery didn't become a common vegetable until the 1800s in Europe and later was introduced to the United States in the 1900s.1
Anti-Cancer Power
A growing body of evidence indicates that flavonoids are an integral component of any cancer-preventive strategy.3 Two of these flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin, found in celery are distinguished for their ability to protect against various types of cancer.4 In one study reported in the International Journal of Cancer, scientists compared the intake of five flavonoids in women with and without ovarian cancer.4 After adjusting for confounding factors of tubal ligation (tubes tied), physical activity and duration of oral contraceptive use, researchers found only apigenin to be associated with reduced ovarian cancer risk, with the highest intake of the flavonoid linked to a 21% reduction risk.4 It is believed apigenin works by decreasing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that stimulates the formation of new blood vessels that are vital for tumor growth.5
Pancreatic cancer is frequently diagnosed at more advanced stages in patients, making it difficult to treat and causing poor survival rates.6 Compelling data suggests that apigenin can combat pancreatic cancer through multiple mechanisms including impairing glucose uptake,7 triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death),8 and disrupting the cancer cell cycle.9
Other laboratory findings show that apigenin has inhibitory growth effects against thyroid, leukemia, lung, and prostate cancers.10
Luteolin, another celery flavonoid, has potent anti-cancer activity, particularly against colon cancer. Colon cancer cells secrete insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II), which plays a major role in signaling uncontrolled cell growth and replication. In a study published in the journal BMC Gastroenterology, researchers observed that luteolin suppresses the secretion of IGF II, thus halting the progression of colon cancer.11
Both apigenin and luteolin provide a powerful defense against breast cancer. Italian researchers discovered that the highest intake of both flavonoids reduced the risk of breast cancer by 19% compared to the lowest intakes.12
Via The BioSync Team
