Blood Pressure Change After Celery Juice Ingestion in a Hypertensive Elderly Male

Antihypertensive Property of Celery: A Narrative Review on Current Knowledge

Background

The incidence of hypertension is increasing significantly on a global scale, and it is considered the leading cause of heart disease and death. Despite the availability of hypotensive drugs, they have many side effects that decrease adherence to treatments and lead to uncontrolled blood pressure. Studies have revealed that celery contains bioactive compounds that oppose hypotensive effect.

Methods

A thorough literature review was conducted using Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. To identify relevant studies on the topic, our search strategy employed keywords such as "celery," "Apium gravenols L," "hypertension," "high blood pressure," "apigenin," "antihypertensive," and "hypotensive." The search was limited to articles published between January 2013 and December 2023. The inclusion criteria were original research articles that involved both animal and human subjects, published in English, and reported results applicable to the subject of this review. Review articles or articles in the form of theses or books were excluded.

Results

The available evidence revealed that celery enhances blood pressure parameters. Clinical trials clarified that celery possesses its effect through many bioactive compounds, specifically 3-n-butylphthalide and apigenin. Based on animal and human studies, celery seems to elicit blood pressure regulation mainly by the vasodilatory, diuretic, and calcium channel-blocking properties. Furthermore, celery seed extract seems to exert a bradycardia effect.

Conclusion

The current literature review showed a considerable number of studies on the hypertensive models, which confirmed that celery and its extracts are effective hypotensive agents. Some limitations in comparing published data should be considered, including differences in doses, extracts, species of celery, and administration form.

Comprehensive Quality and Bioactive Constituent Analysis of Celery Juice Made from Different Cultivars

Celery juice is rich in bioactive constituents, has good health properties, and is becoming much more popular, with its demand continuing to rise. The results of this study show that celery juice from Chinese cultivars contains more bioactive constituents, whereas celery cultivars from the United States and European countries have a higher juice yield. Compared with the other juices, the juices of five cultivars may taste sweeter, and the juices of three cultivars had a higher antioxidant capacity. The juices of six cultivars (three with the highest antioxidant capacity and three with the lowest antioxidant capacity) were selected to analyze bioactive constituents by LC/MS and GC/MS. A total of 71 phenolic acids, 38 flavonoids, 18 coumarins, 41 terpenoids, and 11 phthalides were detected in the juices of the six celery cultivars. The contents of 14 compounds had a more than 10-fold difference among these celery juices. This study first evaluated the comprehensive quality of the juices made from 26 celery cultivars and then analyzed the differences in bioactive constituents in the juices of6 celery cultivars. These findings provide information for the further study on the health functions of celery juice and can also guide celery juice production and celery breeding.

Effect of celery (Apium graveolens) seed extract on hypertension: A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, clinical trial

In the present work, the antihypertensive effects of celery seed extract (Apium graveolens) with active ingredients, such as 3-n-butylphthalide, were studied as a drug supplement in the treatment of hypertension. This study was a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial. Fifty-two patients were divided into two groups (celery and placebo) and completed the two-step clinical trial. Four celery seed extract capsules (totally 1.34 g per day) or 4 placebo capsules per day were administered to the patients during a 4-week clinical trial. The blood pressure was assessed using a 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring method. In celery group, systolic blood pressure changed from 141.2 ± 5.91 to 130.0 ± 4.38 mmHg (p < .001) while diastolic blood pressure changed from 92.2 ± 5.74 to 84.2 ± 4.87 mmHg (p < .001). Moreover, the mean arterial blood pressure changed from 108.5 ± 5.76 to 99.5 ± 4.66 mmHg (p < .001), and pulse pressure decreased from 49.0 ± 6.21 to 45.8 ± 6.01 mmHg (p < .01). However, no significant changes were observed in placebo group in terms of the above-mentioned parameters (p > .05). Furthermore, no significant side effect was reported in the celery group, compared to the placebo group (p > .05). The results were promising and indicated the therapeutic effects of celery seed extract as a supplement in the management of hypertension.

Safety evaluation and biochemical efficacy of celery seed extract (Apium Graveolens) capsules in hypertensive patients: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, clinical trial

The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety of celery seed extract (Apium graveolens), as a medicinal herb with active ingredients such as 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), in hypertensive patients. This study was a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial. Hypertensive patients (51 participants) received 4 celery seed capsules (a total of 1.34 g extract per day) or 4 placebo capsules per day for 4 weeks as a supplement to their usual medication regimen. The results indicated that the celery seed capsule not only was safe for hypertensive patients but also caused a reduction in BP, FBS, and lipid profile values. Also, it had beneficial effects on kidney and liver functions. No significant change was observed in blood cells and serum electrolytes (p > 0.05). The mean reduction in BUN and SCr were 3.43 and 0.075 mg/dL, and in SGPT and SGOT were 4.08 and 3.03 U/L, respectively (p < 0.05). FBS reduced from 108.53 to 97.96 mg/dL after 4 weeks of celery administration (p < 0.01). The decrease in TC, TG, LDL, and increase in HDL were 16.37, 16.22, 11.84, and 2.52 mg/dL, respectively (p < 0.001). According to the promising results of this clinical trial, celery seed extract can be considered a safe supplement for hypertensive patients. The study is limited by the small sample size; therefore, larger randomized trials are required.