If you think the healthy way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day is getting pissed on kale juice and snacking on leafy greens, think again. There’s room at the bar for celery too. It means business when it comes to brain health.
I assumed celery was just a vehicle for peanut butter.
Ah, but it’s so much more than that. Celery is an overachiever too.
It calms inflammation that leads to neurodegeneration
It contains folate to improve focus
How does it combat inflammation?
Celery contains luteolin, a potent compound that combats inflammation without destroying neurons. It slows down the production of cytokines, your immune system’s SOS chemical messengers.
So what?
If your body experiences a cytokine spike, it thinks it’s under fire. Your immune system goes to town, thus causing inflammation. Celery helps prevent immune system burnout. No burnout, no inflammation.
What about my memory?
Luteolin fosters a healthy hippocampus, the region some might call Mind Palace Central. Consume luteolin and your memory with thank you.
And what about folate?
Trust us. You need it. We covered it last week.
Celery contains vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium. It’s hailed for lowering blood pressure and fighting chronic diseases and to top it off, celery is low in calories.
Great. Ideas to up my intake?
Weather permitting, here’s what we suggest.
Add it to salad.
Snack on it raw.
Juice it. (People are obsessed but the science is lean so far.)
FOR THE NERDY: More celery goodness