Celery: 4 Amazing Benefits for Women
Celery – the food I used to hate but have come to love.
When I was a kid, celery used to be given as a snack. I just hated it. “Why would anyone want to eat this?,” I used to ask. Now that I’m older I know the answer to this question.
Celery has so many health benefits it’s not even funny. I find myself making special trips to the store just to get it.
This green stalky vegetable is full of minerals like calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc. It’s also loaded with vitamins A, C, D, E and K. B vitamins like folic acid, B12 and thiamine are also there. And let us not forget the fiber!
All these nutrients work wonders for the body. Let’s check out some of the nutritional content of 1 cup of raw celery:
- Only 16.2 calories! That’s hardly any calories at all.
- 1.6 grams of fiber
- 3.5 grams of carbs
- 5% daily value (DV) Vitamin C
- 9% DV Folate
- 37% DV Vitamin K
- 4% DV Calcium
- 3% DV Riboflavin
- 5% DV Manganese
- 4% DV Vitamin B6
These numbers make it evident that celery is perfect for those wanting high nutritional value with low calories.
What are some ways celery benefits women?
Lowers Blood Pressure
If you’re like me, you suffer from high blood pressure (HBP). Well, celery lowers that high blood pressure. This little-known fact is what really makes me love this crunchy vegetable. How does it do it?
Organic compounds called phthalides are in celery stalks. These powerful compounds reduce the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream. This causes the blood vessels to expand.
And, as women engineers, we know that when vessels expand, there’s a larger area for blood flow. This expanded area causes reduced blood pressure. Awesome, right?
In addition, the potassium found in celery, which acts as a vasodilator, also aids in reducing blood pressure.
The health benefits here can’t be underestimated.
High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it can go undetected for years while putting one at risk for stroke and heart disease.
Many think that high blood pressure is a man’s disease. But that just isn’t true. Close to half of adults with HBP are women.
And, once a woman hits 65 she is more likely to get it than a man of the same age. I am proof that women can and do get this disease. So ladies, eat celery!
Prevents Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
UTIs mainly affect women. This is due to the female anatomy – the urethra is shorter in females than males so bacteria has a shorter distance to travel before it wreaks havoc. These infections are annoying and can be quite painful, but celery can help prevent them.
Celery has chemicals that increase urination, which rids the body of uric acid. It also has the ability to kill bacteria in the urinary tract.
These are the bacteria that cause the infections in the first place so getting rid of them is a great thing.
Improves Immune System
It’s September. That means cold and flu season is right around the corner. We need all the help we can get to fight off the viruses we are sure to be exposed to. Celery can be a great help!
Celery is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants which help to boost the immune system. A strong, more efficient immune system is going to be much better at warding off illness than a weak, inefficient one.
Prevents Cancer
Compounds in celery called polyacetylenes inhibit the formation of cancers like breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and others.
White blood cells are more active after eating celery as well which helps in fending off cancer cells.
Free radicals are found and neutralized before they have the chance to do harm.
In short, celery is a powerful anti-cancer agent that you should take advantage of.
Make Celery Part of Your Diet
With all these health benefits it’s hard to ignore celery, the vegetable I once hated.
It’s cheap, easy to use, and can be used as a snack or as an ingredient in a variety of dishes.
My favorite way to eat it is raw with peanut butter.
It’s a great snack that’s healthy, quick and easy. Start eating healthier – get some celery today!
