Celery

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Blood pressure and blood sugar³

  In people, celery lowered blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and triglycerides, but not cholesterol.

• Open question

  Pesticide residues in vegetables⁵

  More than half of celery samples had pesticide residues, and most stayed below the maximum residue limit.

• Open question

  Food allergy in older people⁶

  In older people with celery allergy, celery that was properly digested was less able to trigger allergy reactions.

• Open question

  Skin reactions to spices⁸

  People allergic to celery often also reacted to aniseed, fennel, coriander and cumin in skin tests.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Cross-reactive food allergen²³

  A newly found protein in celery, Api g 2, survives cooking and stomach digestion and may react with peach and mugwort pollen.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Chemical levels in plant parts²⁰

  In celery, PAE levels were higher in leaves than stems and in greenhouse crops, but risks from eating it were acceptable.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Pesticide risk in children¹⁵

  In celery, children aged 1-6 had the highest exposure to pesticides like imidacloprid and acetamiprid, with leaves posing more risk.

• Heavy metals in food²¹

  Celery grown in polluted soil soaks up cadmium, and eating it often may put your health at risk.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Missing allergen detection⁴

  Some people allergic to celery react to Api g 7, but no shop test can spot it yet.

• Food allergy reactions¹⁰

  Celery can cause allergic reactions, and many people allergic to it also react to mugwort, carrots and spices.

• Cross-reactions to pollen and foods¹¹

  People allergic to celery were often also allergic to mugwort pollen, carrots, and sometimes mango.

• Antibodies to sugar structures¹²

  In celery-allergic people, IgE antibodies often target sugar structures on celery proteins, not just the proteins themselves.

• Antibody targets in allergy¹³

  In people with a confirmed celery allergy, IgE antibodies mostly target the known celery allergens Api g 1 and CCD.

• Whole-body allergic reactions¹⁴

  In people with a celery allergy, celery caused allergic reactions, sometimes affecting the whole body.

• Allergic reactions to food¹⁶

  In people, eating celery caused hives, swelling and breathing problems, and some had severe allergic reactions.

• Risk of severe reaction¹⁷

  In people allergic to celery, those reacting to Api g 7 were about six times more likely to have a severe reaction.

• Food allergy to vegetables¹⁸

  Celery can cause real allergic reactions, and skin tests with fresh celery picked up most of them.

• Pollen food allergy¹⁹

  Some people allergic to mugwort and birch pollen also react to celery, pepper and paprika.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Allergic reaction during exercise⁷

  A person had a serious allergic reaction to celery, but only when they exercised after eating it.

• Skin reaction to sunlight⁹

  A woman got a severe skin reaction after eating a lot of celery root, which can contain psoralens.

How it’s made and used

• Pesticide residue in vegetables²²

  In celery, metconazole broke down differently than in other vegetables, and the amounts people eat are within acceptable limits.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.