THE more I learn about the amazing medicinal and therapeutic properties of the celery, the more justification I find for the old adage: “In the midst of hunger, there is plenty.”

By “hunger”, I mean the crisis proportions to which certain dreaded diseases, such as cancer, congestive heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and the debilitating osteoporosis, circulate locally, plunging patients in a desperate search to find healing or help.
The result is that each week, hundreds of patients suffering from one or more of these conditions — many of whom are senior citizens — queue up at hospitals and health centres and at doctors’ clinics to seek treatment for these same diseases.
And in order to secure early registration, they invariably leave their homes from as early as 5:00 hrs, or spend a significant portion of the day in waiting.  Such is their hunger that it constitutes a constant and desperate cry for healing or relief from the illnesses they are experiencing.

But amidst this scenario, the good news is that all of the foregoing ailments and more can be brought under control, if not altogether eliminated, with skillful management of the condition through use of different parts of the celery.

Having accumulated an age-old reputation as a fantastic herb with a strong aromatic flavour which greatly enhances cuisine, the celery garnishes rice, stews, soups and gravies, and makes a crunchy salad; while its seeds are used to make herbal brews. But with passage of time, the celery’s amazing therapeutic properties were discovered, and many lives were saved thereby.
Moreover, its abundant availability throughout coastal Guyana and its practically ‘give away retail price’ make this fantastic herb an absolute godsend.
Having heard the testimonies of persons who were relieved of serious illnesses through use of the celery right here in Guyana, it is my firm conviction that were the message of the celery’s amazing therapeutic properties  to be seriously heeded, there would soon come a day when a dramatic breakthrough against certain debilitating illnesses would be heralded, and the celery would thereafter merit pride of place in the scheme of things.

The price of ignorance
Had my family known how valuable the celery was for treating both high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, my late father would perhaps not have suffered a stroke at the age of 48, let alone die at the relatively young age of 64. He had survived the attack of stroke, and, with careful follow-up intervention, had done fairly well, having lived for another 16 years before dying of congestive heart failure.

Throughout those 16 years after the stroke attack, my father had taken blood pressure tablets twice daily as prescribed. I cannot recall him being given aspirins or any anticoagulants, nor did I know their value at that time. Little did the family know that prolonged use of those king-sized tablets, administered to my father in the late 60s and throughout the 70s, would later create drastic problems for him. He spent the last two weeks of his life in a private hospital, and after his demise, the post-mortem examination revealed that the medication he had been taking had had an adverse effect on the functioning of his heart, in that the muscles of that organ had been rendered weak and unable to pump blood properly.

With weakened pumping power, blood moves through the heart at a slower rate, hence pressure in the heart increases, whilst the body suffers from shortage of oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs. The family learnt some bitter lessons from that traumatic experience.

Therapeutic value
Among its many therapeutic uses, celery is a traditional Asian folk remedy for high blood pressure. A study coming out of the University of Chicago recommends the daily eating of four stalks of celery without the leaves for one week as an effective treatment against high blood pressure, and to block cells from growing in one’s body, as per Chinese traditional medicine.

Miraculous recovery
Celery is also recommended for shrinking tumors. A few years ago, a student in a health workshop I was conducting shared with the class a testimony in which she recalled that her husband was sick with a colon tumor, and was expected to have surgery; but as he waited to put things in place, he felt he could no longer bear the pain.  The compassionate doctor advised the couple to try using celery combined with neem as a temporary relief. The couple boiled the two herbs, and strained and drank the brew as tea without adding any sugar, and a few days later, the pain was gone, and within a few weeks’ time, the tumor had practically disappeared. The couple has since been using celery, and employs the leaves, stalks and seeds for whatever health problems they confront.

The miraculous celery is recommended for other problems, including gouty arthritis with symptoms of pain in the knees, brought on by high levels of uric acid in the blood, and resulting in crystals forming in the joints. The celery is also highly recommended as a cure for colds, flu, osteoporosis, diabetes, indigestion, diseases of the spleen and liver, obesity, insomnia, nervousness,  anxiety, loss of appetite, high cholesterol, and several cancers.

Because of its high-fibre, no-fat content, celery works incredibly well for reducing high cholesterol. Also as a diuretic, the celery is widely used for weight loss.
For weight loss, as for many other things, use one or two teaspoons-full of freshly crushed or blended celery leaves per cup of boiling water.  Leave to stand for 10 to 20 minutes, then strain and drink three cups per day.

However, it is advised that you consult your physician before proceeding to use this remedy, since excessive use of some potions may have its disadvantages. The remedy should therefore be used with caution.
For example, pregnant women should not use a celery potion for weight loss, since it is known to cause contractions of the uterus, and can lead to abortion.  Using too many stalks of the celery (which gives excessive fibre) can lead to cramps and diarrhoea.

Nutritional properties
Celery seeds can be used as an antioxidant. They protect against cancer, and boost the immune system. The celery is rich in Vitamin A, and is a good source of Vitamin K. It is high in soluble as well as insoluble fibres, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous and beta carotene.