NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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celery

A crunchy, water-rich stalk whose seed extracts and flavones nudge blood pressure down.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
7 verified / 7
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup chopped, raw (101 g)

101gSERVING
  • Sugars 1.4 g1%
  • Fibre 1.6 g2%
  • Protein 0.7 g1%
  • Other 97.3 g96%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C3%Fiber6%Potassium6%Folate9%Vitamin A2%Vitamin K25%Vitamin B64%Manganese4%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
16 kcal0.7 g protein1.6 g fiber1.4 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C3.1 mg3%
Fiber1.6 g6%
Potassium263 mg6%
Folate36 µg9%
Vitamin A22 µg2%
Vitamin K30 µg25%
Vitamin B60.07 mg4%
Manganese0.1 mg4%
Copper0.04 mg4%
Vitamin E0.27 mg2%
Magnesium11 mg3%
Calcium40 mg3%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is celery?

celery is a vegetable used for lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Celery is very low in calories and sugar but supplies meaningful vitamin K, folate and potassium, plus the signature flavones apigenin and luteolin and aromatic phthalides (3-n-butylphthalide). A 2025 meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (511 adults) found celery preparations significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and triglycerides, and a triple-blind crossover trial of celery seed extract cut systolic pressure by roughly 11 mmHg. Population studies of dietary flavones (the apigenin/luteolin subclass) link higher intake to modestly lower breast and esophageal cancer risk and lower cardiovascular mortality, though these flavone data are observational rather than celery-specific.

Purported Benefits

✓Lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure
✓Reduces fasting glucose and triglycerides
✓Very low calorie, hydrating, high water content
✓Source of vitamin K, folate and potassium
✓Flavones linked to lower CVD mortality

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (101 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
apigeninluteolin3-n-butylphthalide (sedanolide/phthalides)p-coumaric acidnitrate

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe as a food. Celery is a recognized allergen and can trigger oral allergy syndrome or, rarely, anaphylaxis. It contains photosensitizing furocoumarins (psoralens) that can cause phytophotodermatitis with heavy skin contact plus sun. Concentrated celery seed extracts may add to the effect of antihypertensive drugs and are best avoided in pregnancy (uterine-stimulant tradition) and with anticoagulants given the vitamin K content; whole-food amounts pose little warfarin concern. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining celery with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis of RCTs Liu et al. 2025 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (511 adults): celery lowered systolic BP (SMD -1.0, 95% CI -1.85 to -0.14), diastolic BP (SMD -0.93, -1.54 to -0.33), fasting glucose (SMD -0.80, -1.58 to -0.01) and triglycerides (SMD -1.18, -1.45 to -0.91).
Meta-analysis of observational studies Cui et al. 2016 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (7 studies, 2,629 cases): higher flavone intake was inversely associated with esophageal cancer risk (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.95).
Meta-analysis of prospective cohorts Kim & Je 2017 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 15 prospective cohorts: highest vs lowest total flavonoid intake was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.98).
Meta-analysis of observational studies Hui et al. 2013 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies: highest vs lowest dietary flavone (apigenin/luteolin) intake was associated with a 17% lower breast cancer risk (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.91).
Randomized controlled trial Madhavi/Shayani Rad et al. 2022 ✓ PubMed
Triple-blind placebo-controlled crossover RCT (52 hypertensive adults): celery seed extract (1.34 g/day, 4 wks) reduced systolic BP from 141.2 to 130.0 mmHg (~11 mmHg, p<0.001) with no significant adverse effects.
Randomized controlled trial Castellino et al. 2019 ✓ Full text
6-month double-blind RCT (100 metabolic-syndrome adults): luteolin+chlorogenic-acid (Altilix) cut HbA1c by -0.95% (95% CI -1.22 to -0.67) and carotid intima-media thickness by -39% vs placebo.
Review Alobaidi 2024 ✓ Full text
Narrative review concluding celery and its extracts are effective hypotensive agents across hypertensive models, while noting heterogeneity in dose, extract type, species, and administration form.
7 sources cited · 7 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about celery

What is celery used for?

celery is most often taken for Lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Reduces fasting glucose and triglycerides, Very low calorie, hydrating, high water content, Source of vitamin K, folate and potassium. A crunchy, water-rich stalk whose seed extracts and flavones nudge blood pressure down.

Does celery work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Celery is very low in calories and sugar but supplies meaningful vitamin K, folate and potassium, plus the signature flavones apigenin and luteolin and aromatic phthalides (3-n-butylphthalide). A 2025 meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (511 adults) found celery preparations significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and triglycerides, and a triple-blind crossover trial of celery seed extract cut systolic pressure by roughly 11 mmHg. Population studies of dietary flavones (the apigenin/luteolin subclass) link higher intake to modestly lower breast and esophageal cancer risk and lower cardiovascular mortality, though these flavone data are observational rather than celery-specific.

What is the typical dose of celery?

Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (101 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is celery safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe as a food. Celery is a recognized allergen and can trigger oral allergy syndrome or, rarely, anaphylaxis. It contains photosensitizing furocoumarins (psoralens) that can cause phytophotodermatitis with heavy skin contact plus sun. Concentrated celery seed extracts may add to the effect of antihypertensive drugs and are best avoided in pregnancy (uterine-stimulant tradition) and with anticoagulants given the vitamin K content; whole-food amounts pose little warfarin concern.

How many studies support celery?

NutriDex cites 7 sources for celery, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). celery: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/celery

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_celery,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {celery: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/celery},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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