What’s the Verdict On Celery Juice?

Written By: Lauren Paiva

I’ve never been a celery girl. I choose carrots over celery on the party veggie platter every time. Peanut butter and other various dips don’t mask the repulsive taste for me. In fact, the only time celery has held any level of appeal is when utilized as a decorative garnish for a bloody mary. 

So you can imagine my profound curiosity when celery juice became the wellness drink du juor earlier this year. According to my estimates (my social media feeds), it’s a trend that’s enjoying more than its 15 minutes of fame. If you’re still on the fence, I’ve weighed the pros and cons for you. 

But first..a history. 

Celery juice’s rise to aspirational Instagram content began with Anthony William, or the “Medical Medium” as he often refers to himself. He’s a bestselling author and sometimes Goop contributor whose staked his claim as the originator of the global celery juice movement. His most recent book might have had something to do with the insta-fame celery juice has been enjoying since October of 2018.

William claims to “hear a voice” that bestows upon him information that he in turn uses to help people dealing with chronic illnesses. (Editor’s note: WIlliams is not a medical professional and we are by no means asserting that he should be taken seriously. We’re just the messenger, and you know what they say about messengers.)

William claims that 16 ounce of celery juice a day on an empty stomach can be beneficial for those dealing with anything from eczema to IBS. Insert shifty eye emoji here.

While there’s approximately zero reliable source of evidence to back up this claim, that hasn’t stopped a ton of people from hopping on board the celery juice bandwagon. So, let’s get into the potential lists of pros and cons. 

Pros: Regardless of whether or not celery juice has any actual healing properties, the good news is that drinking it won’t hurt you. It’s obviously healthy, containing antioxidant properties, Vitamin A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Plus, it’s extremely hydrating since it’s mostly water in vegetable form. 

Cons: Like with most crash diet and wellness fads, we should all approach this one with caution. While celery isn’t harmful, there is a lot we don’t know about it when consumed in large quantities—for instance, could it interact poorly with certain medications, à la our friend grapefruit juice? There’s simply not a robust body of evidence to know any potential downsides with any level of certainty. Also? As consumers, we have a tendency to go hard on one particular craze, to the exclusion of all else. It’s never a good idea to put all of your wellness goals in one basket (or stalk) while neglecting other crucial components of wellness. 

Our conclusion: as with any other nutritional endeavor, check with your doctor first. But from a high level? We are extremely wary of  woo woo claims of spiritual entities relaying medical information to random men on the Internet. Celery juice may not end up living up to all of its professed hype.