Celery Seed Oil

Monday 29th March 2010 9:57am

celery Everyone knows and loves this classic vegetable. Its stalks have added flavour to soups and salads for years but did you know that the seeds of the celery plant have an even longer history as a medicinal herb?

Celery seed is rich in organic sodium which is very useful in rebalancing the minerals in and around arthritic joints, promoting recovery. Compounds in the seed also act as a very good mild diuretic which helps reduce the inflammation associated with most types of arthritis.

This diuretic action has been used for centuries in herbal remedies by the Chinese who also find it a useful treatment for headaches.

Of course it’s not just arthritic conditions that result in inflammation and fluid retention. Things like localised sporting injuries can lead to painful swelling which can be alleviated through the use of celery seed. Swelling of the ankles and calves is also common in people who spend the working day on their feet and also in long haul travellers because of the restrictions sitting for long periods places on the circulation.

These types of temporary fluid accumulation can all be helped by the gentle action of celery seed on the kidneys to promote diuresis (increased production of urine by the kidney).

Celery seed is most widely known as a mild diuretic and has been used for this purpose for hundreds of years. Premenstrual fluid retention, swollen ankles from long hours on your feet or puffy calf muscles during the very hot weather all seem to respond to the mild diuretic action of the active constituents found in the celery seed. However there are a number of other conditions that are marked by inflammation. Celery was widely recommended in the 1980s as an aid for arthritic pain that can be caused by inflammation around the joints making them stiff and therefore sore when moved.

Celery lost favour through the 1990s and 2000s as fish oil and glucosamine supplements began to gain popularity. These two supplements have given thousands of sufferer’s relief from debilitating pain but many sufferers still need to add paracetamol or anti-inflammatories at times when pain is severe. However if people are on maximal doses of fish oil and glucosamine and want to add a further natural supplement to their regimen then celery seed is an excellent choice.

Its gentle diuretic action and anti-inflammatory properties are complementary to those of fish oil and glucosamine and could provide many sufferers with a safe and effective alternative. It may have slipped in the popularity polls but celery seed still has a lot to offer, after all it has stood the test of time. The Chinese have been using it for more than 1000 years!

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.