When someone thinks “what is celery good for?” the common answer is to lower blood pressure, balance sugar and even lower cholesterol (Did you know that?)
But a recent study has shown that this tasty vegetable has the power to boost your immune system, thanks to celery’s anti-cancer power! Recent studies have uncovered that celery contains a compound called apigenin which can stop tumors from forming, developing, and spreading throughout the body.
The antioxidant compounds within celery contain potent chemoprotective effects versus traditional chemotherapy which typically only contains one chemopreventative compound. A review from the Journal of Cancer Protection stated that apigenin has the potential to prevent many different types of cancer including breast, prostate, and even pancreatic cancers.
In a study conducted by the University of Illinois in how apigenin affects pancreatic cancer in mice, the compounds within celery prevented the growth of cancerous cells and ultimately lead to apoptosis, or cancer cell death. Needless to say, apigenin is an extremely powerful tool that could stop aggressive cancers in their tracks as it reduces the levels of pro-inflammatory molecules and carcinomas.
Apigenin stops tumors at their source by inhibiting angiogenesis, or the development of new blood vessels that carcinogenic tumors depend on to thrive, and even suppresses proteins that cancer uses to break down and invade healthy tissue.
Celery also contains a compound called Luteolin, which has the capacity to disrupt the replication cycle of cancer cells (i.e. it stops cancer cells from being able to grow). One study published in BioMed Central Gastroenterology found that luteolin has the ability to block the IGF and PI3K pathways which are necessary for the growth and development of cancer cells. Luteolins power seems the most effective against colon cancer, and considering colon cancer is the 2nd most frequent cancer, one could argue this discovery changes the way one looks at alternative colon cancer therapy.
The Luteolin in celery also houses strong anti-inflammatory properties. The Inflammatory Research Journal reported that luteolin is one of several flavonoids that exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Both luteolin and quercetin (another flavonoid), “Inhibited the platelet-activating factor and suppressed the inflammatory response induced by allergens.” Luteolin impedes excessive production of TNF-alpha – known to be a major source of inflammation.
If celery isn’t your favorite food, don’t sweat it! There are plenty of different types of vegetables that also contain apigenin such as parsley, carrots, artichokes, and more, but make sure you’re buying them organically. Another compound that aids in the defeat of cancer cells is luteolin which reduces the oxidative stress in colon cancer and pairs with apigenin to tackle pancreatic cancer cells. Although celery might lack in the vitamin department, it sure makes up for it by containing these vital compounds that can help you live a cancer-free life!
Unfortunately, since apigenin can be easily extracted from natural plants, the cancer industry will continue to keep this huge discovery under wraps as giant corporations won’t be able to gain significant profit off it. However, there’s no need to wait on pharmaceutical companies to confirm the benefits of celery and other vegetables when you can start incorporating them into your diet today! Make sure the vegetables you buy are free from pesticides and note that celery is a vegetable that often ends up on the “Dirty Dozen” list. Along with the benefit of preventing and even reversing cancer, celery serves as a great source of water and nutrients aids with dehydration. Find your favorite way to prepare celery whether it’s as a side dish or an afternoon snack and relax while your body fights the battles for you!
Celery and Celery juices not only inhibit cancer formation and growth but are also excellent methods to replace lost electrolytes, elevate total body alkalinity, prevent/resolve constipation, improve overall kidney function and filtration as well as calming nervousness/anxiety (during the era of Hippocrates celery was the recommended therapy for soothing insomnia and/or anxiety. Today those same benefits have been observed with just 1 cup of fresh pressed celery juice).
Want to read more about celery’s amazing power? Check out these incredible sites:
https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-10-23-celery-is-a-nutritional-superhero-targets-cancer-cells-at-a-molecular-level.html
https://naturalon.com/can-celery-kill-cancer
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21984154
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3397525
https://www.naturalhealth365.com/celery-cancer-cells-2167.html