CELERY SEED
Botanical: Apium graveolens Family: Umbelliferae (carrot) - Apiaceae (parsley) Other common names: Smallage, Marsh Water Parsley, Wild Celery, Garden Celery, Marsh Parsley

Gout sufferers take heart!  You may find relief with Celery Seed. Its diuretic action not only promotes the flow of urine and uric acid excretions from the kidneys, but its antiseptic properties ease urinary inflammation and benefits the overall health of the urinary tract. Celery Seed is also thought to be especially helpful to people who suffer from joint discomforts, such as arthritis and rheumatism.

History:
Celery has been used since earliest times as a food, for flavoring and for medicinal purposes. Of uncertain origin, perhaps the Mediterranean region, the bitter marsh plant grew wild on wet and flooded salt marshes, and it is sometimes called "smallage," a biennial with stalks that grow from one to two feet. Celery Seed is the dried fruit (tiny brown seed with a celery-like flavor and aroma) of the Apium graveolens. Its botanical name, the Latin apium, may be derived from a prehistoric Indo-European word for water. If true, it seems logical that celery's growth preference is wet soil and marshes. The town of Selinunte in Sicily derived its name from the Greek word for the plant, selinon. The ancient Egyptians used the plant for culinary purposes, and it was discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The Greeks and Romans used Celery for medicinal and culinary purposes, and there was even a popular belief that it was an aphrodisiac. It was also regarded in ancient times to have magical properties and was frequently associated with rites and celebrations of death and the underworld. In the Middle Ages, Italian farmers began to cultivate "smallage," and once begun, this cultivation steadily improved its quality. When the seeds were first used is not clear, but we know that the English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper wrote in 1653 that Celery Seeds would "sweeten and purify the blood." Celery was introduced to the new world as a vegetable, but in the nineteenth century, it was known that the Shakers grew "smallage" for their medical remedies. The plant grows in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine for asthma, bronchitis, hiccups, flatulence, and as a nerve tonic; and in Mainland China, it is taken to reduce hypertension. Celery Seeds and stalks contain a sedative compound called phthalide, and the Seeds contain essential oils (apiol, which is very potent), beta-carotene, calcium, choline, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium selenium, sulfur, zinc, scopoletin, coumarin, essential fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, rutin, B-vitamins and vitamins A, C, E and K.

Beneficial Uses:
Celery Seed is an excellent diuretic that promotes the flow of urine through the kidneys and increases uric acid excretions, helping to clear toxins from the system. This is especially good for gout, where excess uric acid crystals collect in the joints. Its diuretic action may also relieve bladder disorders, cystitis and other kidney problems. Early herbalists used it as a cleansing tonic after the stagnation of winter, and herbalists in France today use the extract to relieve retention of urine.

Celery Seed may support a healthy heart. Its diuretic properties help to rid the body of excess water through increased urine flow, including the release of fluid surrounding the heart, which helps to reduce the heart's workload.

Celery Seed is considered beneficial for easing the discomfort and degeneration of the body joints frequently associated with age. Its anti-inflammatory properties also appear to help those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and neuralgia, and its diuretic qualities help flush impurities (including uric acid and other toxins) from the kidneys, which frequently cause these ailments.

Although Celery is said to be a stimulant (particularly in kidney function), it is also known as a sedative that will calm stressed nerves and promote restfulness and sleep. Celery Seed is thought to have a calming effect on the digestive system, enhancing appetite, relieving gas and indigestion.

Celery Seed is a popular folk remedy for promoting the onset of menstruation.

**Provided itself beneficial in research that involved people, endorsed by Germany’s Commission E for Therapeutic use, High Blood Pressure, Water Retention

*Provided itself beneficial in research that did not involve people, the study could have been done in a test tube, petri dish or animals for Therapeutic use, Anxiety, Arthritis, Cystitis, Gout, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Insomnia, Stress, Urinary Tract Infection

Contraindications:
When taking therapeutic doses of Celery or excessive use, does not cause sensitivity to sunlight by itself, it complements (enhances) the effects of many prescription drugs (on which you might reduce your dependents) it can cause increased risk of sunburn in people who take prescription for but ACE inhibitors to control high blood pressure and If you should not use diuretics, you should not use therapetic doses of celery seed.


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Disclaimer: The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider