Celery to lower blood pressure
I heard that celery lowers blood pressure and decided to research this topic as I didn’t particularly like eating celery, but did not enjoy being hypertensive even more. I found that through the years, celery has been widely used for its amazing health benefits. Celery naturally lowers blood pressure because it contains substances that are effective and acts on the cardiovascular, endocrine, and renal system to regulate your blood pressure. Many researchers and medical practitioners recommend the use of celery to lower blood pressure because it has been proven effective for so many years.
How does celery lower your blood pressure?
Celery contains substances that naturally act on your system to lower your blood pressure. Celery is rich in apigenin and 3-n-butylpthalide. Apigenin which is also found in another vegetables works to dilate the blood vessels and pthalide works to relax the smooth muscles in the blood vessels. Hence, celery works to lower blood pressure by acting as a vasodilator and muscle relaxant which are beneficial to maintain a normal blood pressure reading.
Using celery to lower blood pressure has also been effective due to its rich potassium content. Potassium is needed to keep a healthy cardiovascular system. There must be enough potassium in your blood and it should be kept at a normal level to maintain the electrical activity of the heart at a normal pace. The electrical activity of the heart once altered will cause changes in your system that is detrimental. Celery gives enough nutritional supplement of potassium which has been used also to lower blood pressure or to keep it within normal limits.
According to many researchers, celery lowers the blood pressure by acting as a diuretic. Most antihypertensive medications act as diuretic to keep a normal blood volume which is necessary in maintaining a normal blood pressure. It acts to stimulate the endocrine and renal system to release excess amount of water from your body.
The perfect combination of potassium and sodium found in celery makes it a perfect natural diuretic. It is safe to use because it has a 3:1 potassium sodium ratio which means it will stimulate diuresis or urination but will not cause excessive loss of potassium from the system. This makes celery one of the most effective supplements to lower blood pressure.
A high blood pressure has been attributed with high salt diet. Hypertensive clients and those who are at risk are also advised to maintain a low salt diet to control episodes of hypertension. Celery is a good salt replacement. But to effectively use celery to lower blood pressure or maintain a normal blood pressure, a portion a day is enough because if taken in large amount, it can also be toxic in your system.
A research study done at the University of Chicago is another proof that celery lowers blood pressure. In this study, a group of animals were given daily supplements of celery to consume and they manifested a lower blood pressure than the group of animals that were not given a nutritional supplement of celery.
The use of celery to lower the blood pressure is safe and effective for people who need to maintain a low salt diet. Its salty taste when combined with other fresh vegetables to make a salad gives a satisfying taste and you may need not to add more salt and other spices.
There are a lot of health benefits a portion of celery provides. Many people now use celery, to keep blood pressure at a lower level or within the normal range. It is therefore recommended that it should be taken fresh because like other vegetables, when cooked, the amount of sodium and potassium content can be altered.
In summary, celery lowers the blood pressure having the same action and mechanism antihypertensive does. It acts as a vasodilator and diuretic. However, like any other antihypertensive medications, excessive amounts of celery can be not so beneficial for you. Hence, consult your physician before using it as a supplement.