Is Celery Good for You? Benefits, Nutrition and Celery Juice Facts
Is celery good for you? Yes. One cup of chopped raw celery has about 14 calories, 1.6 grams of fiber and roughly 25% of the Daily Value for vitamin K, plus potassium, folate and plant compounds such as apigenin. It is about 95% water, so it adds volume and crunch for very few calories. What the evidence does not support are the big claims made for celery juice. Below are the USDA numbers, the benefits that hold up, and who should be careful.
Quick answer
The short answer on celery nutrition: it is a low-calorie, high-water vegetable with useful amounts of vitamin K and a little fiber, potassium and folate. A medium stalk has about 6 calories. Eating the whole stalk beats celery juice, because juicing removes most of the fiber. People with a celery allergy should avoid it, and people taking warfarin should keep their vitamin K intake steady rather than suddenly adding a lot of celery.
Celery Nutrition Facts
These values are for raw celery from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC ID 169988), scaled to the portions USDA lists. A medium stalk is 7½ to 8 inches long.
| Nutrient | 1 medium stalk (40 g) | 1 cup chopped (101 g) | % Daily Value per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 6 | 14 | – |
| Water | 38 g | 96 g | – |
| Carbohydrates | 1.2 g | 3.0 g | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.6 g | 1.6 g | 6% |
| Sugars | 0.5 g | 1.4 g | – |
| Protein | 0.3 g | 0.7 g | – |
| Vitamin K | 11.7 mcg | 29.6 mcg | 25% |
| Folate | 14 mcg | 36 mcg | 9% |
| Potassium | 104 mg | 263 mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 32 mg | 81 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 1.2 mg | 3.1 mg | 3% |
Celery is not a nutrient powerhouse, but it is a useful one for its calories. Its standout is vitamin K, which the body needs for normal blood clotting. Its sodium is modest: about 80 mg per cup, which is less than a typical slice of bread.
Is Celery Good for You? 5 Health Benefits
It fills you up for very few calories
Because celery is mostly water held together by fiber, it adds bulk and crunch to a plate without adding many calories. Celery sticks with hummus or peanut butter make a more filling snack than the same calories of crackers, and diced celery stretches soups, stews and salads.
It adds to your fluid intake
Water-rich foods count toward the fluid you take in each day; for more on that, see whether water has calories. Celery is about 95% water by weight.
It provides vitamin K, potassium and folate
A cup of chopped celery covers about a quarter of the Daily Value for vitamin K and smaller amounts of folate and potassium. Potassium-rich vegetables are part of eating patterns linked to healthy blood pressure.
Blood pressure research is promising but early
A 2024 narrative review of animal and human studies concluded that celery and celery extracts may help lower blood pressure, pointing to compounds such as 3-n-butylphthalide and apigenin. The authors noted that the studies varied widely in dose and form, and many used concentrated seed extracts rather than everyday amounts of fresh celery. It is a reasonable reason to keep eating celery, not proof that it treats high blood pressure.
A small boost for digestion
At 1.6 grams per cup, celery is a modest fiber source compared with beans, lentils or oats. It still helps, and it is easy to add to meals. For the higher-fiber foods, see our fiber-maxxing guide.
Is Celery Juice Good for You?
Celery juice is less useful than whole celery. Juicing removes most of the insoluble fiber, which is a large part of why a stalk is filling, and a glass of celery juice takes many stalks, so the sodium adds up (about 32 mg per medium stalk). Claims that celery juice detoxes the liver, cures skin conditions or heals the gut are not supported by clinical trials. If you enjoy the taste, it is fine as a drink, but eating the stalks gives you the same nutrients plus the fiber.
Is Celery a Negative-Calorie Food?
No. The idea is that chewing and digesting celery uses more calories than it contains. Digestion uses only a small fraction of the energy in food, so a 6-calorie stalk still provides a few calories. Celery is a very low-calorie food, which is useful, but not a negative-calorie one.
Who Should Be Careful With Celery or Celery Juice?
- People with a celery allergy. Celery is one of the 14 major allergens that must be labeled in the UK and EU. Allergy UK notes that reactions range from an itchy mouth, often in people with birch pollen allergy, to rare severe reactions, and cooking does not reliably remove the risk.
- People taking warfarin. Warfarin users are advised to keep their vitamin K intake consistent from day to day rather than avoid it (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). A sudden new celery or celery-juice habit is worth mentioning to your doctor.
- Skin contact in strong sun. Celery contains furanocoumarins, which can occasionally cause a sun-triggered skin rash (phytophotodermatitis), mostly in people who handle large amounts, such as farm and grocery workers.
Easy Ways to Eat More Celery
| Idea | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Sticks with peanut butter or hummus | Fat and protein make the crunch more filling |
| Diced into soups and stews | Classic aromatic base with onion and carrot |
| Thinly sliced in tuna or chicken salad | Adds crunch and freshness |
| Stir-fried with garlic | Turns tender and mild in a few minutes |
| Leaves chopped like parsley | The leaves have the strongest celery flavor |
Cooked celery keeps most of its fiber and vitamin K, so it counts in soups such as Greek lemon chicken soup just as it does raw on a veggie tray.
Celery Nutrition FAQ
Is celery good for you if you eat it every day?
For most people, yes. A few stalks a day is a healthy habit as part of a varied diet. People on warfarin should keep the amount steady from day to day.
How many calories are in a stalk of celery?
About 6 calories in a medium 7½ to 8 inch stalk (40 g), and about 14 in a cup of chopped celery, based on USDA data.
Is celery good for weight loss?
It can help because it is filling for very few calories, especially as a swap for chips or crackers. No single food causes weight loss on its own.
Is raw or cooked celery better?
Both are good. Raw celery keeps slightly more vitamin C; cooked celery keeps most of its fiber and vitamin K and is easier to eat in larger amounts.
Is celery high in sodium?
No. A medium stalk has about 32 mg and a cup about 81 mg. Celery juice is higher only because one glass uses many stalks.
What does celery do for your body?
It supplies water, fiber, vitamin K, folate and potassium for very few calories, and contains antioxidants such as apigenin and luteolin that are being studied for heart health.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Celery, raw (FDC 169988)
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label
- Antihypertensive property of celery: a narrative review (2024)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin K
- Allergy UK: Celery allergy
Featured photo: Unsplash
