Why is Celery Juice Such a Big Deal?

It’s not your imagination: celery juice is all the rage. Like many food crazes, celery juice first sprouted on celebrity Instagrams and websites—Goop, anyone?

“The juice sounds healthy and looks great,” says Dr. Sonia Singh, MD, MS, internist with Memorial Hermann Medical Group Texas Medical Center Internal Medicine and Endocrinology.

But is that enough? Dr. Singh slices through fact and fiction.

Is celery juice your dietary savior?

A. “Celery juice is not a miracle-maker. It’s just the juice of a vegetable that’s been around forever,” Dr. Singh notes. “Any claims celery juice improves your complexion, cuts inflammation or destroys harmful bacteria in the gut are strained. Studies showing health benefits were done on rats and gerbils—not humans,” she says. “So forget the hype that celery juice cures colitis, bloating, acne, psoriasis and gastric cancer. Besides, eating celery by the stalk trumps juice because you’re losing all the fiber that can fill you up.”

Why juice then?

A. Juicing condenses the nutrients and phytochemicals, chiefly vitamins A and K, and potassium and folate. You’re more likely to drink the equivalent of six stalks—the recommended day’s worth of veggies and fruit—than munch that much. “It’s doesn’t have the sugar and calories of orange juice,” Dr. Singh says. “But celery juice shouldn’t replace a meal or a medication. And a variety of vegetables would be better for your health.”

How much should you drink and when?

A. You may have read it’s vital to start the day with 16 ounces. “The ritual of getting up in the morning and spending a few minutes doing something positive for yourself and your health—whether that’s 10 minutes of meditation or yoga or drinking a green juice—can be really powerful and set you on a healthy path, but there is no proven benefit to drinking juice in the morning from a nutritional standpoint, “says Dr. Singh.

Any dangers?

A. Most people can drink as much juice as they wish. “However, if you have a history of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or kidney disease, you should discuss drinking celery juice with your doctor or pharmacist first,” says Dr. Singh. According to Dr. Singh, Vitamin K counteracts blood thinners making blood more likely to clot (and thus raising risks of stroke or new clots). Some drugs taken in combination with large quantities of celery juice can boost potassium to unhealthy levels.