herbal advisor
4 amazing uses for celery seed extract
By Vera Tweed
As with many plants, the ancient wisdom of using celery seeds to restore health is being validated by modern science
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orried about your blood pressure rising? Got gout? Plagued by arthritis or an ulcer? Celery seed can come to the rescue.
Lab analyses of celery seed have found that it contains luteolin, a substance that reduces unhealthy levels of uric acid by blocking an enzyme that contributes to its overproduction. Celery seed is also an ancient remedy for poor digestion, and more recent examinations of its components have found that it can help prevent or relieve stomach ulcers. Lab analyses show that it inhibits H. pylori bacteria, which can cause ulcers in the lining of the stomach.
Lowering Blood Pressure Celery and celery seeds act as diuretics, helping to eliminate excess water and salt that make blood pressure rise. This is also how many blood-pressure medications work, but the drugs also cause side effects because they disrupt the body’s balance of sodium and potassium and reduce blood flow to the brain. Celery does the job without disturbing the mineral balance, doesn’t reduce blood flow to the brain, and doesn’t cause any other adverse effects. In addition, celery seed extract helps dilate blood vessels, another mechanism that helps to lower blood pressure. A study of 30 people with moderately elevated blood pressure tested 75 mg of a celery seed extract twice daily. Blood pressure began to drop after a few weeks of supplementation, and at the end of six weeks, it had fallen, on average, from 139/85 to 131/76. Celery and its seeds contain phthalides, a category of plant nutrients. Although other plants also contain phthalides, the unique composition of these compounds in celery produces its health benefits. One phthalide, 3nB (short for 3-n-butylphthalide), is only found in celery, and is believed to be the component that lowers blood pressure. The blood-pressure study referenced above used an extract standardized to contain 85-percent 3nB.
Balancing Inflammation to Relieve Pain Temporary inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to injury—when you cut a finger, the redness around it means your body is working to heal the cut. But 10
How to Use Celery Seed Extract
chronic inflammation is a key component of chronic pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat pain suppress some of the production of inflammation in a way that leads to side effects and health risks, but celery works in different manner. Rather than blocking internal processes, celery seed restores balance to the body’s prostaglandins, chemicals that influence inflammation. By balancing, rather than blocking natural processes, the extract can bring relief without side effects. A study of 70 people suffering from arthritis pain tested 75 mg of celery seed extract for three weeks and found that it reduced pain and improved flexibility of joints.
Celery seed extract is available as an individual supplement as well as in formulas. For extracts that standardized to contain 85% 3nB—this should be noted in the Supplements Facts—the usual dose is 75–150 mg, twice daily. For other extracts, follow product directions. To relieve gout, some people take higher doses, such as 500 or 1,200 mg daily. The supplement usually needs to be taken on an ongoing basis to prevent gout from recurring. Some formulas combine celery seed with tart cherry extract, which also reduces uric acid and relieves gout.
Solaray Celery Seed
Easing Gout & Relieving Ulcers Many people have experienced relief from gout by taking celery seed extract. Gout can develop on its own or can be triggered by diuretic drugs that lower blood pressure, because the drugs raise levels of uric acid. When uric acid forms crystals, these cause severe pain, often in the big toe. While celery seed extract is a diuretic, it has the opposite effect on uric acid.
Natural Factors Celery Seed Extract
Zhou Tart Cherry Extract + Celery Seed
June 2020
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