Dark truth behind new celery juice trend

Everyone from Kim Kardashian West to your next-door neighbour is going crazy for the latest juice trend, celery juice. But is it actually as beneficial as everyone claims?

Ah yes, January.

The month where we all go frantically searching for the magic cure that will undo a whole month of subsisting solely on refined carbohydrates, three hours sleep and enough prosecco to tide over the EU.

Last year, it was all about the ketogenic diet, which had us throwing out our toasters and buying up bacon in bulk. The year before, intermittent fasting, resulting in cranky co-workers on fasting days eyeing your lunch off.

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And this year, it appears Harvey Norman is set to sell out of juicers, because celery is now being touted as the answer to our festive season woes.

Spearheading the celery charge? That would be Anthony William, also known as The Medical Medium, a New York Times best-selling author and so-called “Originator of The Global Celery Juice Movement”.

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Maybe think twice before you start drinking gallons of celery juice. Picture: iStock

According to William, wellness is found at the bottom of a green filled glass. All you simply need to do is drink 470ml of pure celery juice every morning and wait 15-30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else. Easy, right?

Among celebrity fans (including Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow and Pharrell) are hordes of devotees the world over taking to social media sharing how the green stuff has cured them of everything from mental health problems and infertility to skin conditions like eczema and acne.

But according to Accredited Practising Dietitian, Stefanie Valakas, there’s one problem: There’s no scientific evidence to support the claims that have been made about downing the juice.

“There’s no doubt that celery is a nutritious food. It’s a vegetable, so it’ll up your folate and fibre intake, but you’re best to get this from actual eating it whole.”

Why? Because juicing reduces the fibre content, which is important for not only our bowel health and gut microbes, but for keeping us satisfied.

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“The process of juicing really reduces the benefits of vegetables. Much like cucumber or watermelon, it’s 97% water, so you could try drinking celery juice with little harm, but a glass of water in the morning for hydration could be an equivalent option,” explains Valakas.

And while the harm is minimal if you did want to give it a whirl, in the case of serious medical conditions it is important to be aware of possible interactions with medications. For example celery contains vitamin K and if your intake dramatically increases, it can affect anti-clotting medicines like Warfarin.

“The evidence for quick fixes is often limited and this is no different. On the Medical Medium’s website he has a really long disclaimer stating that he’s not a licensed medical doctor and the information provided should not be considered to be healthcare advice or medical diagnosis,” she warns.

Bottom line? It won’t necessarily hurt your health (more just your wallet — one glass equates to a whole bunch of celery which costs around $6), although it could be worth it to up your hydration levels over summer.

— Ashleigh Austen is the Lifestyle Editor of whimn.com.au, continue the conversation @ashausten

— This story originally appeared on whimn.com.au and is reproduced here with permission