Have you heard of the Medical Medium? The man behind the persona is Anthony Williams, and alongside using ‘spirit guides’ to help ‘cure’ people of chronic health conditions ranging from thyroid disease, adrenal fatigue, depression, autoimmune conditions, he’s also renowned for being a huge advocate of a daily celery juice.
We’ll save the validity of his methods for another day, but although the Medical Medium isn’t a licensed health care practitioner, he’s developed an astonishing following within the wellness community. With over 1 million followers on Instagram, he’s certainly grabbed peoples attention–and celery juice is one of the hallmarks of his message.
Here’s why celery juice is such a hot health topic at the moment and the pros and cons of incorporating it into your diet:
The pros
It’s a powerhouse vegetable
Let’s give credit where credit’s due—celery is a natural diuretic that’s crammed full of antioxidants, enzymes, and phytonutrients that help to flush the liver, improve digestion and balance blood sugar. It’s also a great source of potassium, vitamin K, and flavonoids—compounds that have been shown to help maintain electrolyte balance and perhaps even remove free radicals. It also contains minerals that effectively balance the body’s blood pH, neutralising acidity.
It’s to do with the mineral salts
According to the Medical Medium, “celery is able to starve pathogens, plus it contains a multitude of undiscovered mineral salts that act together as an antiseptic.” He states that when these powerful mineral salts make contact with the viruses that are real troublemakers responsible for chronic illness—“the salts begin to break down the pathogens’ cell membranes, eventually killing and destroying them.”
It’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial
According to the Medical Medium, celery is perfect for reversing the effects of inflammation, because it essentially works to starve bacteria and pathogens that create inflammation within the body in the first place. These antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties make celery juice the ideal antidote to chronic skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis.
It’s great for the gut
As we know, when HCL (aka stomach acid) levels are low—which is particularly common in those under a lot of stress of battling an autoimmune condition—the gut can quickly become compromised. This means poor digestion, a lack of nutrient absorption and poor utilisation of the food you’ve eaten for the rest of the day. Celery is packed with minerals and mineral salts that can help boost all of these functions. And, when consumed regularly, celery juice can help to gradually increase and restore your stomach’s HCL levels—which brings your gut back into a state of balance.
The cons
Is it just because it’s hydrating?
We hate to put a potential spanner in the celery-juice-hype works, but could all of the touted benefits of the juice be simply because it’s so damn hydrating? Is the clearer skin, better digestion and decreased bloat down to the fact that your body is finally getting the hydration it craves? And have we forgotten about the hydrating benefits of h2o? We’ll just leave that thought there.
It isn’t backed by research
Okay, so although devotees exclaim how much better they feel after incorporating 16oz of celery juice into their diet each day (pure celery juice, organic is preferable, at least 30 minutes before eating food), the benefits just ain’t backed by much science.
It hasn’t been studied in as greater depth as other wonder nutrients that are often juiced or added to smoothies, like beets or avocado—which means that there’s also no information on safe consumption levels or long-term effects.
