Celery Nutrients - Health Benefits of Celery Juice

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

Health benefits of celery juice

 Home > Barley grass juice health benefits > Celery nutrients and juice health benefits

Celery and its juice have immense nutritional value and many health benefits. Celery belongs to the family Apiaceae (aka Umbelliferae) and species Apium graveolens. It is a biennial vegetable having a life cycle of two years, grows up to one meter in height and has pinnate to bipinnate leaves. In celery the leaves are carried on long green stalks joined at the bulbous root.

The green leaves, stalks and bulbous root are rich sources of vitamins, dietary minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients giving many health benefits.

Nutrients in celery and its juice

     As per the USDA Nutrient Database, 100 grams of raw celery has 95 gms of water and the other nutrients making up the remaining 5%. Celery in dry flakes form gives 319 kcl energy and contains:

Protein	11.30 gms
Total lipid (fat)	2.10 gms
Carbohydrate	63.70 gms
Total dietary fiber	27.80 gms
Sugars	35.90 gms

Mineral nutrients

Calcium	587.00 mg
Iron	7.83 mg
Magnesium	196.00 mg
Phosphorus	402.00 mg
Potassium	4388.00 mg
Sodium	1435.00 mg
Zinc	2.77 mg

Vitamin nutrients

Vitamin C	86.50 mg
Thiamin	0.44 mg
Riboflavin	0.50 mg
Niacin	4.64 mg
Vitamin B 6	0.46 mg
Folate, DFE	107.00 mcg
Vitamin E	5.55 mg
Vitamin K	584.20 µg
Vitamin A	1962 IU

     Celery and its juice contain very high amounts of nutrients like vitamin K which benefit us in blood coagulation. Vitamin K also has a vital role in metabolic pathways in bone and other tissues. Celery is a good source of Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B5 and vitamin B6. Among minerals nutrients celery and its juice contain good amounts of potassium, Calcium, magnesium, manganese and sodium. The high content of nutrients like dietary fiber gives health benefits like lowering of glycemic index and blood sugar.

Image of celery plant
https://commons.wikimedia.org
User:Popolon (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Health benefits of antioxidants in celery juice

     The major antioxidants in celery juice are vitamin A, vitamin C and coumarins. The juice also contains antioxidant flavonoids like apigenin and luteolin. During the biochemical metabolic processes in the human body free-radicals are formed which cause oxidative stress to body and can start chain reactions inside the cells causing damage or death of cells. Antioxidants inhibit oxidation of other molecules by neutralising the free-radicals and extend many health benefits. Oxidative stress contributes to development of many diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, diabetes and neurodegeneration.

Hypertension lowering health benefits

The phthalides (sedanenolide and 3n-butylphthalide) present in celery, especially its seeds, are found to be effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. Phthalides show anti-hypertension effects by  relaxing the wall muscles of arteries, improving microcirculation and reducing the body fluids. Further celery also contains phytochemical nutrients known as coumarins. These phytochemicals show anti-hypertension activity.

Illustration of capillary microcirculation

Fluid and electrolyte balance health benefits
     The presence of good amounts of nutrients like calcium, potassium and sodium in celery juice helps in maintenance of  water-electrolyte balance. Electrolytes like calcium, potassium and sodium play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. These nutrients are important for  regulating muscle, heart and neurological functions, maintaining fluid balance, acid-base balance and oxygen transport.

Anti-cancer health benefits
     The coumarin compounds present in celery juice are reported to have anti-cancer activity. Other health benefits reported for coumarin compound nutrients include anti-HIV, antiseptic, pain relief, anti-arrhythmia, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilating, anti-osteoporosis and anti-lymphedema effects.

Allergies and anaphylactic shock due to celery juice?
     Like peanuts, celery and its juice also has some allergens which can trigger severe allergic reactions sometimes leading to anaphylactic shock. Its seeds have the highest amount of allergens followed by roots and then stalks. Unlike peanut allergy which is most prevalent in United States, allergy to celery is most prevalent in Central European countries. However health benefits of juice outweigh possible allergies.

     After a workout celery juice is a perfect health drink as it benefits the body by replacing lost eletrolytes, especially nutrients like sodium.


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Frequent headaches -Daily headaches - Causes

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Frequent daily headaches Home > Frequent headaches -Daily headaches - Causes

Nearly 5% of the adults suffer from chronic daily or frequent headaches caused by a myriad of factors. In some cases the causes for daily occurrence are not well understood and are idiopathic in nature. Daily or frequent headaches require a medical evaluation. There can be a systemic cause for which the present condition is only a symptom.

Possible causes of frequent and daily headaches

    One of the cause of frequent episode is the disturbance in the processing of pain signals in the brain. The pain signals may have been interpreted with exaggerated response. Excess caffeine (in tea and coffee), sulfides (in red wine), allergic reactions, defective eye sight, eye strain, chronic ear infections and carbon monoxide poisoning may also cause daily occurrence. The following secondary causes may also be considered during evaluation.

Image: daily frequent headache
Overdose of medication and rebound effect
    In many cases of frequent headaches the cause have been found to be frequent use of pain-killers. Use of analgesics for three days in a week or nine days in a month can cause rebound effect and daily headache. A vicious cycle occurs whereby frequent headaches cause the person to take frequent medication. In such cases treatment becomes difficult as the treatment itself becomes the cause of malady.

Frequent migraine
    In people with migraine, the episodes occur 1-3 times a month or less. In some the occurrence becomes frequent or daily. To get over it proper preventive treatment is necessary.

Chronic tension (stress)
    People who are prone to tension headaches can slowly develop daily episodes. Tight contractions of muscles in the head, neck and shoulders due to anxiety, stress or lack of sleep usually are the causes. Treating the condition and preventing the underlying cause may bring relief.

New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH)
    Some people, who never had headache of any type suddenly develop persistent daily headache. International Headache Society (IHS) has classified it as a Primary Headache Disorder by the ICHD-2 classification system. NDPH is unique and is continuous daily pain. It may be varying in intensity and very rapidly build up to continuous and unremitting pain. There is no specific treatment for this condition.  It often does not respond to preventive or abortive medications. In some small studies preventive individual treatments with gabapentin, topiramate and doxycycline have been found to successful.

Sinusitis
    The inflammation of sinus (sinusitis) creates pressure and precipitate frequent headaches. Sinusitis due to infections in the sinus. In chronic sinusitis the pain becomes a daily feature and is severe when the affected person bends down. Treating and curing sinusitis with anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics can bring relief from pain.

Traumatic head & neck injuries
    If a person suffers from frequent headaches after a head or neck injury, it could be a serious condition. If a sensation of whirling and loss of balance (vertigo) also accompanies then it is an emergency situation requiring thorough medical investigation. There is a great possibility of damage to nerve tissues of the brain or spine.

Meningitis
    Persons suffering from meningitis also have daily or frequent headaches. Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the meninges membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Other symptoms of meningitis are fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, confusion and seizures. The health condition of the patient with meningitis deteriorates quickly requiring immediate medical care. There is also viral meningitis with similar symptoms.

Dehydration
    Dehydration, especially chronic dehydration is found the cause daily headaches. As children are more prone to dehydration, they may also suffer from this condition. Over consumption of coffee or alcohol, diuretics, strenuous exercise, antihistamines and calcium channel blockers can cause loss of considerable amount of water and electrolytes from the body. Taking sufficient water will solve this problem. Excess loss of body salts through profuse sweating can also produce this pain and one may have to take sports drinks.

Hormones effects
    The monthly fluctuations in the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones can cause frequent headaches in women. During the menopause frequent headaches are produced as there is fluctuation in the levels of hormones and also there is a drop in the levels of estrogen.

Seek medical help if the daily episode is accompanied by the following symptoms like,

• getting worse over days,
• vision changes,
• nausea or vomiting,
• numbness and tingling,
• pain in the ear or eye,
• confusion or convulsions
• or pain and stiffness in the neck are present.

    Seek medical help and have your frequent headache evaluated. The cause could be an underlying serious health condition.

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Image courtesy:
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/exalthim/ by Mr.Thomas under (CC BY-SA 2.0).

References:
1. Fumal A, Schoenen J. Tension-type headache: current research and clinical management. Lancet Neurol. 2008:7(1):70-83.
2. Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (November 2008). Diagnosis and management of headache in adults. Edinburgh. ISBN 978-1-905813-39-1.
3. Halker RB, Hastriter EV, Dodick DW. Chronic daily headache: an evidence-based and systematic approach to a challenging problem. frequent causes. Neurology. 2011;76(7 suppl 2):S37-S43.

Health tips - Exercise and summer - Exercising in the heat

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

Exercise in summer heat Physical health definition > Health tips for exercising in the summer heat

Is it safe to exercising in the summer heat?

Yes. With cautious planning one can safely exercise in the summer heat. Uncontrolled increase in body's temperature is the greatest danger  we should avoid. It is worth noting that summer itself is stressful to most of us. Adding the stress of exercising during summer has synergistic stress effect on the heart and also on the body's cooling mechanism. A high body temperature affects the brain function and the drive to exercise. Hence a carefully planned exercise regimen is necessary to cope with the temperature stress as well as exercise stress.

Image: Cool exercise
in summer heat

Heat acclimation tips

You have to acclimate your body to exercise in summer so that your heart is not stressed much. Initially a short aerobic exercise bout of 10-15 minutes or less must be attempted. Gradually increase it to 30-60 minutes per session over a period of 10-15 days. By this gradual acclimation, at a given exercise intensity heart rate as well as body core temperature decreases whereas the sweating and cooling rate increases. The relative loss of electrolytes in the sweat also decreases with acclimation. Without acclimating even healthy persons may become stressed. Please note that the beneficial effect of acclimation will be lost and there will be rapid de-acclimation, if a person discontinues exercising in heat conditions for 3-4 weeks period. Then this person has to acclimate himself all over again.

Ideal time for exercising in the summer

If the ambient temperature is above 90°F and the humidity is above 60%, it is better to curtail exercise to protect yourself from injury.

• According to the heat stress index of The American Council on Exercise, under normal circumstances there is no harm in exposure at a temperature below 80°F (27°C).
• Fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure at 80–90°F (27–32°C).
• Heat cramps and exhaustion are possible at 90–105°F (32–41°C).
• Cramps and exhaustion is likely and  heatstroke is possible 105–130°F (41–54°C).
• At a temperature over 130°F (54°C) heatstroke is imminent.  

It is better to beat the summer by having the session in the early morning or late in the evening in summer.

Humidity and summer
Sweating cools your body by taking away the heat from your skin during evaporation. When the weather is humid and the air is already near saturated with moisture the sweat remains on the skin as it cannot evaporate. In such a situation the body temperature keeps increasing during exercise and stress may result.

Dress for exercising in the summer
Wear minimal, loose-fitting, lightweight and water absorbing clothing while exercising in summer. Tight-fitting thick clothing impermeable to water will hamper the evaporation of sweat and subsequent cooling of the skin and cause heat injury. Light-colored clothing reflects the sun rays away. Though head helps in cooling the body, it can also increase temperature in sun exposure. If the exercise is outdoor, wear loose-fitting hat to protect yourself from summer sun.

Stay hydrated while exercising in the summer heat

As a daily routine, thirty minutes before start of exercise make sure that you are sufficiently hydrated by taking copious amounts of water. Avoid drinks containing caffeine or alcohol  as they dehydrate you. During the session, for every 15-20 minutes take a break to drink water. At the end of the session drink fluids till the thirsty feeling ceases. If the session extends beyond 60 minutes consider drinking sport drink to replace lost electrolyte salts in the sweat.

Dangerous side effects of overdoing in summer

Hyperthermia denotes a bunch of body-temperature-related illness caused by high temperature of the body. If the body temperature goes beyond 100°F and if the humidity is also high, there is always the danger of hyperthermia. The balance between the heat made by the body and that it loses, goes haywire.

In such a situation a person may suffer heat syncope with symptoms like light-headedness, dizziness and fainting. Resting in a cool place, drinking water and putting legs up may relieve the symptoms.

Some people suffer cramps with raised body temperature in summer. These cramps are painful tightening of muscles of legs, arms or stomach. Resting in a cool place and drinking water may relieve the cramps.

Heat exhaustion shows symptoms like thirsty feeling, dizziness, weakness, nausea and lack of coordination. There may be profuse sweating and the skin may feel cold and sticky. The pulse rate may go up. Stop exercise immediately. Resting in a cool place and taking lots of fluids may correct the condition. If the condition persists take immediate medical help. If immediate action is not taken this may lead to heat stroke.

The symptoms of heat stroke are fainting, confused behavior, dry skin, rapid or slow pulse, staggering and leading to coma. In such a situation immediate hospitalization and medical aid is required. Please remember that it is a life-threatening situation.

To summarize, following the above health tips can keep one safe while exercising daily in the summer heat.

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References:
1.The American Council on Exercise; www.acefitness.org
2.National Institutes of Health — Heat Illness; www.health.nih.gov/topic/HeatIllness 

Daily health tips - How to stop chocolate cravings?

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How to stop chocolate cravings? For most of us chocolate is irresistible and it is almost impossible to stop chocolate cravings. Understanding its beneficial and adverse effects on health makes it easy to control or stop the cravings.

Some facts about chocolate

This sweet cocoa product is made from the seeds of the cacao plant, native to South America. The mature seeds are fermented and dried. After cleaning they are roasted and the shell is removed to get cocoa nibs (pieces of kernel). Pure and rough form is obtained by grinding the cocoa nibs into cocoa mass. This is also called chocolate liquor as it is liquefied and molded for various uses. This liquor is also processed to make cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Baking chocolate: This is the raw and pure form without other ingredients or sugar, containing varying proportions of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It is the starter for various other forms.
Sweet chocolate: This is the most consumed form and made from cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar or sweeteners, oils or fat and other flavoring agents. This is the form for which many people develop cravings.
Milk chocolate: This has cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and milk in it.
White chocolate: This form contains, cocoa butter, milk, sugar. Cocoa solids are not added to it.
Sugar is the main ingredient making, otherwise bitter tasting, raw chocolate edible. This added sugar leads to many health problems. In fact dark chocolate, having minimal sugar and cocoa butter has many health benefits.

Tips on how to stop chocolate cravings?

Nutrient mineral cravings: It is rich in magnesium and if an individual has nutritional deficiency of magnesium, he may develop cravings for its source.
Women during periods lose considerable amount iron from their body and they develop chocolate cravings as it has considerable amounts of iron in it.
In such cases taking supplements containing magnesium or iron will satiate the desire.

Sugar cravings: Actually it may be sweet cravings, possibly due to hormonal imbalances in serotonin and insulin.
In such cases consult a doctor for treatment of the disorder. Unhealthy dieting, sipped meals and energy starvation also trigger desire for sweets which our mind may associate with chocolate. Consult a dietitian for your food schedule.
Mood boosting: Chocolates contain some amounts caffeine phenylethylamine and anandamide.  These chemicals give the feeling of well being and euphoria.
As these have mood boosting effects, loneliness and boredom may trigger the cravings. Keep yourself in positive mood and make yourself  busy with interesting activities. Going in for mood boosting activities and entertainment will make you oblivious of this sweet.
Underlying psychological issues: Individuals lacking love, and self-confidence may try to find solace with their sweets. Analysis of these deeper emotions with a help of a counsellor may do lots of good.

Chocolatesimage credit: eszter - Flickr

Have a partner in quitting: If a close friend or a family member is also inclined to stop chocolate cravings it becomes much easier as both of you can plan your actions and guide one another.
Brisk walk: In some studies it was found that a brisk walk or exercise for 15 minutes can reduce the desire.
Resisting the temptations may not be easy but very much possible. Condition your mind and focus on all its possible negative impacts on your health. Then it gets easier to stop chocolate cravings.


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