Negative Side Effects of Celery Juice

Celery juice started trending in 2019, and at one point, more people were Googling celery juice than the Mediterranean diet. Anthony Williams, aka “The Medical Medium,” calls himself the originator of the celery juice movement. And he may well be, but his “credentials” are that he can talk to spirits—not that he went to medical school or studied nutrition. Williams claims that celery juice is a miracle elixir that can heal chronic illnesses and improve digestion and should be consumed on an empty stomach.

Here, we myth-bust the celery juice claims and tell you what you really need to know about celery juice.

Celery Juice Nutrition

According to the USDA, 1 cup of celery juice contains:

• Calories: 40
• Total Carbohydrates: 8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Added Sugars: 0 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Total Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 g
• Sodium: 229 mg
• Potassium: 625 mg
• Folate: 85 mcg
• Vitamin K: 70 mcg

Celery is a good-for-you vegetable that is very low in calories. It doesn’t have a mega amount of any one nutrient, but you will get a nice nutritional bump in fiber and vitamin K. With that said, celery juice is more concentrated than eating the celery stalks, so the nutrient content goes up with the juice.

Like all vegetables, celery and celery juice contain health-promoting antioxidants. According to a 2022 review in Foods, celery was originally used for medicinal purposes before being used as a vegetable. This is because celery has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may lower blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. And celery seed is used to prevent and treat gout, an extremely painful form of arthritis.

Juicing vs. Eating Celery

One cup of celery juice made with half a bunch of medium stalks (4 to 5) will be higher in nutrients than 1 cup of chopped celery since more celery is used to make the juice—although some vitamins, like vitamin C, may diminish a little with heat and oxygen exposure from blending or being put through a juicer. And you may lose some of celery’s fiber content, depending on how the celery was juiced. Though 4 grams in one cup (see nutrition info above) is still a nice dose.

Generally, eating your calories is more satisfying than drinking them—which is just one reason liquid diets for weight loss fail. Celery is a hydrating veggie, though, and will contribute to your hydration whether you eat the stalk or juice it. Because the nutrients—including the electrolytes—are more concentrated in the juice, it might be a good fluid replacement after a workout or while doing heavy labor if you’re sweating.

Celery Juice Side Effects

So yes, celery juice has nutritional benefits. But it’s no magic cure. Rachele Pojednic, Ph.D., EdM, FACSM, an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University and the Director of Education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, as well as a research associate at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said it best with this Instagram post debunking the myths, “IT’S JUST JUICE.”

Pojednic and other scientists acknowledge that celery has beneficial compounds and that “juice is awesome,” but we don’t yet know what the optimal dose of celery juice is for humans. This is because, as Pojednic explains, “When you juice a ton of celery, it concentrates all of these chemicals. While that might sound great in theory, we don’t know what an optimal dose of these concentrated phytochemicals is because studies haven’t been done in humans (almost all studies are in cells and rats). And we know there are toxicants in celery—furanocoumarins and psoralens—which can cause skin issues and may result in liver damage from breakdown intermediates during metabolism (mechanism unknown). Yep, even celery can be too much of a good thing.”

Celery juice may also interact with certain medications like blood thinners because of its vitamin K content, so talk to your healthcare practitioner if you are going to start drinking celery juice regularly. You should also avoid drinking celery juice if you have an allergy or intolerance to celery.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces the Dirty Dozen list, which highlights the produce most contaminated with pesticide residue. Though celery was not included on the Dirty Dozen list, EWG experts advise opting for organic produce whenever feasible to lower pesticide exposure. Regardless of your choice, ensure thorough washing of celery to minimize contaminants.

What About Those Celery Juice Testimonials?

While there are lots of testimonials regarding celery juice out there—many from celebrities—it’s unknown what other lifestyle and dietary changes they might have made. In other words, it’s impossible to know if it was strictly the celery juice that was creating the changes they’re claiming or if it was a combination of that along with other lifestyle factors.

And then there’s the placebo effect. If people have bought into celery juice as being a miracle cure-all drink, they are much more likely to report feeling benefits, per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

We wonder—if people just started their day with plain water before they ate breakfast, would they see similar results?

The Bottom Line

Like any other food, celery juice isn’t a miracle cure-all drink—so be wary of “gurus” who tell you otherwise. If you want to add celery juice to your diet, limit it to about a cup a day. Either way, drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you’re looking for a quick and easy antioxidant-loaded drink, add tea to your beverage lineup. And eat more whole foods—fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins and fats—for a well-rounded diet that will give you all the nutrients you need for good health.