Lately, on social media, a lot of people have taken to posting about drinking celery juice. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it. A healthy habit? Juicing making a comeback? Another supposed “detox” fad? But then I began doing a little digging and discovered the source of this practice. Which then prompted me to research the validity of the claims that its supporters were making. Bringing me to the topic of today’s article, which simply is- should you be drinking celery juice? (Ready to find out? Then let’s get going!)

Celery Juice: Origins

Let’s start at the beginning. Juicing fruits and vegetables isn’t anything new. You had people like Jack Lalane touting the benefits of liquifying pounds of plant-based foods in order to get the maximum nutrition. What makes celery juice in particular so special is because of the person who popularized it. Enter Anthony William, the Medical Medium. Who, or what, is the Medical Medium, you might ask? Allegedly, the Medical Medium is someone who can diagnose and treat a variety of ailments, from Lymes disease to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). From his official website, “Best selling author of Medical Medium… was born with the unique ability to converse with Spirit of Compassion who provides him with extraordinarily accurate health information that’s often far ahead of its time. Since age four, when he shocked his family by announcing that his symptom-free grandmother had lung cancer (which medical testing soon confirmed), Anthony has been using his gift to “read” people’s conditions and tell them how to recover their health.
Anthony William is also the originator of the Global Celery Juice Movement. Millions of people are healing thanks to drinking 16 ounces of straight celery juice on an empty stomach every day–a specific healing practice that Anthony has been recommending since he was a child in 1975. With the release of his four bestselling books, all of which include information about the undiscovered healing properties of celery juice, millions of people have now tried celery juice and found it to offer them improvement, relief, and healing from all kinds of acute and chronic illnesses and symptoms, including digestive issues, skin conditions, migraines, fatigue, autoimmune illnesses, brain fog, and hundreds of others.” [1]
Celery Juice Claims

The Medical Medium, along with hundreds of his fans, attribute the healing properties of celery juice to a number of factors. According to the book and website, celery juice can (allegedly):

• Reverse inflammation by starving pathogens like “unproductive bacteria and viruses such as Epstein-Barr (EBV)”.
• Provide “undiscovered mineral salts” that further act as an antiseptic towards other viruses, bacteria, and pathogens.
• Treat autoimmune disease by detoxifying or flushing down pathogens that are “the true cause of the inflammation that’s mistakenly considered an autoimmune condition”.
• Balance the body’s pH by rebuilding hydrochloric acid in the gut.
• Strengthen digestion.
• Healing the liver.
  [2]

Celery Juice: The Bad and the Ugly

Before I even get into the real benefits of celery juice, or even if it’s even worth considering, to begin with, let me the problems that come from following the advice of the Medical Medium.
First and foremost is that this man is in no way a qualified medical professional. He is not a doctor, Ph.D., or dietitian. There are zero credentials to his name other than a hunch derived from a (supposed) spirit. Whether or not you believe in such things is up to you, but when it comes to your health, you have got to be extremely careful. Granted, I myself am not a medical professional either, nor do I pretend to be. I always tell you to work with a doctor FIRST before undergoing any diet like keto or even one of my exercise programs, especially if you have an underlying condition. Personal health is a very nuanced, complicated thing that cannot simply be treated with a cookie-cutter recipe or food. After all, what if you’re allergic to celery? What if you’re diabetic and cannot afford to constantly spike your blood sugar thanks to the celery juice he prescribes? Keep this in mind, too. None of the benefits he lists are even supported by research! Notice that I always strive to back up my articles with research and citations. That’s because I’m not out to lie or trick you. The Medical Medium, as good and sincere as he may be, is actually doing a dangerous disservice by flaunting a lot of bold claims that contain little to no data or evidence to back them up. How do you know for sure that this is guaranteed to happen? All of the testimonials are personal anecdotes. Even if they got better, we don’t know their full history. Were they coming off of a standard, processed foods diet? Were they lacking sleep or suffering from nutrient deficiencies? Again, we don’t know. Which is why every review, no matter how miraculous, must be taken with a grain of salt.

Before anyone hates me or this post, understand that I’m looking out for you. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt by misguided or faulty information. If the Medical Medium protocol worked wonders for you, good! But make no mistake here- this man is not qualified under any circumstance to masquerade as a doctor. If you’re not happy with your current one, then find someone else before seeking the advice of someone who lacks experience, training, credentials, and knowledge.

The Real Truth About Celery Juice

OK, controversy and origins aside, here is the truth about celery juice.
The good thing is, you are indeed receiving a flood of nutrients. Instead of eating a couple of ribs of celery in which you only get a small percentage of nutrition, you’re getting plenty of more from multiple stalks in a single glass. These include Vitamin A, K, and C, Folate (B9), potassium and small amounts of sodium, and antioxidants (in the form of flavonoids). [3] Celery juice is also a good source of chlorophyll, which is responsible for giving foods like broccoli and spinach their green pigment. Generally speaking, it’s pretty good for helping with our immunity, and naturally supporting gut health and liver function. [4] So, if you’re someone who does not get enough vegetables in their diet and is looking for more ways to do so, then by all means, go ahead and consume some celery juice if it works for you. (Another small benefit is that it’s naturally low in sugar, making it a great alternative to overly sweet plant drinks from orange, carrot, or beet juice.)
But here’s a notable drawback. Similar to grapefruit juice, celery juice contains a natural chemical known as furanocoumarin, which can block the body’s ability to break down and absorb medications like statins. Therefore, if you’re taking any sort of medication, check with a doctor or dietitian to make sure that they won’t be affected. [5] [6]
I also want to bring up another glaring problem with celery juice- the absence of fiber. Sure, you may be getting a lot of nutrients from the juice, but you’re not going to be receiving any of the fiber. Not only is the fiber going to fill you up and keep you from getting hungrier, but it’s also going to be feeding the beneficial bacteria down in your GI tract. The same bacteria that are responsible for a whole host of tasks from producing neurotransmitters to supporting your immune system. [7] Consider this the next time you’re ready to engulf a whole head of celery in juice form!

This was a lot to unravel! Let’s summarize everything by laying out the pros and cons:

The Good:

Celery Juice…

• Contains nutrients like Vitamin A, K, C, and Folate (B9) and potassium, trace amounts of sodium, chlorophyll, and antioxidants (flavonoids)
• Can boost your intake of plant-based foods
• A low sugar alternative to high-sugar drinks like orange, carrot, and beet juice

The Bad:

Celery Juice…

• Contains furanocoumarin, which affects the body’s use and absorption of medications
• Is completely devoid of fiber
• Becomes nothing more than a watery drink with bits of minerals, vitamins, and sugar

The Ugly:

Celery Juice…

• Has unsubstantiated medical claims (i.e., there is little to not research to support the miraculous benefits that are being peddled on the internet)
• Is being prescribed by an alleged authority who lacks the credentials, data, experience, and knowledge to diagnose and treat people and make health-related claims (of which the evidence is scarce when it comes to VALID research)

There you have it everyone. The good, bad, and the ugly about celery juice. I know that it’s worked for many people (and more power to them!), but there comes a fine line between something being healthy and something being overhyped and worshipped as though it were the holy grail. And celery juice is certainly not one of them.
Remember the saying- if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Sources:

[1] http://www.medicalmedium.com/medical-medium-about-anthony-william
[2] http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/celery-juice
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/health-benefits-of-celery#1
[4] https://www.healthline.com/health/liquid-chlorophyll-benefits-risks
[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/furanocoumarins
[6] https://blog.bulletproof.com/celery-juice-benefits-recipe/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772764/