Celery Facts
Celery Facts

29 Delicious and Fun Celery Facts

Karin Lehnardt
By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer
Published January 7, 2020
  • Celery is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Its ancient form looked similar to smallage (wild celery).[1]
  • The ancient Greeks and Romans used celery as flavoring. The ancient Chinese used it as medicine.[1]
  • Contrary to popular belief, celery is not a "negative-calorie" food—a type of food that takes more energy to burn than what the food contains.[7]
  • Celery, along with peanuts, is part of a small group of foods that provoke severe allergic reactions. People who are allergic to celery can suffer from fatal anaphylactic shock. Even cooking celery does not destroy the allergens.[3]
  • Celery Jello Facts
    Would you ever try celery Jell-O?
  • In the 1960s, Jell-O offered celery-flavored gelatin mix.[9]
  • Celery root contains more allergen than the stalk, and seeds contain the highest levels.[3]
  • Celery is so allergy-inducing that machines that have processed celery can contaminate other food and trigger allergic reactions.[3]
  • While peanut allergies are most prevalent in the United States, celery allergies are most common in Europe.[4]
  • Celery is part of the umbellifer family, a plant species that is very poisonous. Hemlock, the poison that Socrates ingested, is a member of that family.[5]
  • The ancient Greeks and Romans wove celery leaves into the victory crowns of star athletes.[5]
  • Celery was traditionally a medicinal plant used to treat a variety of ailments, such as toothache, insomnia, gout, rheumatism, anxiety, and arthritis.[1]
  • While wild celery was used historically as medicine or seasoning, its cultivation as a food began Italy and France in the 1600s.[5]
  • One of the earliest mentions of celery is in Homer's The Iliad, where the horses of Myrmidon grazed on the wild plant.[1]
  • The word "celery" is from the Greek selinon, "parsley."[2]
  • There ought t'be some way t'eat celery so it wouldn't sound like you wuz steppin' on a basket.

    - Frank McKinney (Kin) Hubbard (1868-1930)

  • The town of Celeryville, Ohio, was founded by celery farmers in the 19th century.[10]
  • There is a museum in Michigan called Celery Flats. It features, not surprisingly, celery.[1]
  • Celery should be eaten within seven days after purchase. After this time, most of the antioxidants in celery disappear.[9]
  • Celery is a good source of vitamin K. Just one cup contains about 30% of the recommended daily intake.[9]
  • Celery is 95% water.[9]
  • The average American eats about 6 pounds of celery per year.[5]
  • Celery Consumption Fact
    Celery (Apium graveolens) is an herb and vegetable member of the parsley family

  • Celery is rich in phytonutrient antioxidants, which help decrease inflammation in the body.[9]
  • Traditionally, celery has been used as a cure for heartburn, and the AARP even recommends it as such because of its low acidity.[9]
  • Celery helps lower cholesterol. The fiber in celery picks up excess cholesterol compounds in the intestines and pushes them out during the elimination process.[9]
  • One cup of celery provides about 6% of a person's daily fiber needs. Recent research shows that celery could also help improve the lining of the stomach.[9]
  • Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, a.k.a. "Jewish Champagne," has been sold in the United States since 1969. The soda gets its flavor from celery seed extract.[8]
  • While the health benefits of celery are many, there are also some risks. Eating large amounts of celery can lead to malnutrition, gastrointestinal problems, and even goiters.[9]
  • Celery contains psoralens, a type of chemical that could, if applied directly to the skin, cause it to become highly sensitive to UV light.[9]
  • Celery is typically exposed to many pesticides, and it is consistently listed on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen as a produce with the most pesticides.[9]
  • Celery Pesticide Fact
    Celery was found to have up to 13 pesticides on a sample, and over 95% of all samples tested positive for chemicals

  • An 8-ounce serving of celery juice contains about 70 calories and 11 grams of sugar.[6]
References

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