Apium graveolens

Raw celery stalks as vegetable or snack: low calorie (14 kcal/100 g), 95 % water, rich in vitamin K (29 µg/100 g = 24 % DV), folate (36 µg = 9 % DV), and potassium (263 mg = 9 % DV). The characteristic phthalides butylphthalide and sedanolide provide the typical aroma and mildly relax smooth muscle of the digestive tract.

[#src_wiki_en_celery] [#src_pfaf_apium]

Seed infusion: 1 tsp crushed celery seeds in 250 ml hot water, steep 10–15 min. Traditionally used in European folk medicine as a diuretic for mild urinary tract infections and to support kidney function. Commission E monograph notes insufficient efficacy evidence; traditional use in central Europe is nonetheless well documented.

[#src_wiki_de_sellerie] [#src_pfaf_apium]

Celery seeds as spice in soups, stews, breads, and vegetable dishes — more intense flavour than the stalks. The seed essential oil contains R-(+)-limonene (~60 %), β-selinene (~13 %), and phthalides (20–30 %). Widely used in traditional cuisine of Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.

[#src_wiki_en_celery] [#src_pfaf_apium]

In European folk medicine, celery (stalks, seeds, root) is traditionally used for gout, rheumatism, and arthritis. The diuretic effect is said to promote uric acid excretion. Use for rheumatic complaints is well documented in folk tradition across central Europe and the Middle East; clinical studies on efficacy are lacking.

[#src_wiki_de_sellerie] [#src_pfaf_apium]

In traditional Chinese and Persian medicine, celery is used to support blood pressure. Phthalides (especially butylphthalide) relax vascular smooth muscle and lower blood pressure in animal models. No controlled clinical trials on celery as monoextract in humans exist; phthalides have however been isolated and studied as potential active compounds.

[#src_wiki_en_celery] [#src_pfaf_apium]

Celery leaves as a culinary herb (leaf celery): bitter compounds and essential oils stimulate digestion. Used as a spice and medicinal plant in ancient medicine (Egypt, Greece, Rome). Raw leaves have an intense, slightly bitter flavour; as a cooking herb they are used in soups and broths.

[#src_wiki_en_celery] [#src_pfaf_apium]