Celery: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is a stem vegetable in the carrot or parsley family (Apiaceae). The crunchy stalks (leaf stems) are eaten raw or cooked, and the leaves, root (celeriac) and seeds are used in other ways. People eat celery for its freshness, its water and fiber, and some vitamins. This page keeps the whole food apart from celery seed products, juice trends and hype, and says plainly what research does and does not show.

Read this first

• Celery allergy can be serious. In one study of 79 people with celery allergy, the allergen Api g 7 was linked to higher odds of severe anaphylaxis. [2] For trouble breathing, a tight throat or swelling of the face, lips or tongue, call 911 (999 in the UK). [6] Celery is on the EU list of 14 allergens that must be declared on food labels. [5]
• Warfarin: celery has a fair amount of vitamin K (about a quarter of the Daily Value in one cup). [1] The NHS says you can still eat foods high in vitamin K but should ask your warfarin clinic; MedlinePlus says sudden changes in vitamin K intake can change how the medicine works. [9][10]
• Sun and skin: celery contains furocoumarins that can cause blistering on skin that is exposed to ultraviolet light. Normal eating amounts are usually too low to do this; the risk is higher for people who handle celery a lot. [7]
• Evidence in one line: we found no human trial showing that eating celery or drinking celery juice treats or prevents a disease. The blood pressure trials we found tested celery seed or other celery preparations, not the everyday stalk. [11]

What is in it (USDA values)

Raw celery, USDA FoodData Central item 169988 (SR Legacy). [1] USDA household portion: 1 cup chopped = 101 g (1 large stalk, 11 to 12 inches long = 64 g).

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage. [1] The serving columns are our arithmetic from the USDA per-100 g numbers and portion weight.

Celery is described as rich in apigenin, a plant pigment of the flavone group. [18] USDA also lists lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoid pigments) in raw celery. [1] Most of what is known about apigenin and luteolin comes from the lab and animals, for example a rat colitis study and tests on isolated guinea pig windpipe tissue, not from people eating celery. [19][20]

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. The food is a small, watery stem with modest nutrients. Trials in the table above used celery seed or other preparations, sometimes at amounts far from a normal serving, and the review found seed or concentrated products worked differently from other plant parts. [11] Do not read those results as proof that eating stalks does the same. Celery seed has its own page: Celery seed.

How much is a normal serving

The WHO says people older than 10 should aim for at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables a day (fact sheet dated 26 January 2026). [16] The NHS counts 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables as one portion (reviewed 9 June 2026). [17] One large stalk is 64 g by USDA's household portion and one cup chopped is 101 g. [1] This is information, not a prescription. Juice and smoothies count as one portion at most, according to the NHS, and juice removes much of the fiber. [17] We did not find a source we could read on how cooking changes the nutrients in celery.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Celery allergy. A review of current knowledge says celery allergy diagnosis has limits and highlights Api g 7, a defensin allergen linked to severe reactions and to mugwort pollen sensitization. It adds that no commercial test yet measures IgE to Api g 7. [3] In a study of 79 celery-allergic people, about half had IgE to Api g 7, and it was linked to higher odds of severe anaphylaxis. [2] Mugwort-celery syndrome is the name for celery allergy that goes along with mugwort pollen allergy. [2] The NHS lists celery among foods a person can be allergic to, and symptoms can include hives, swelling and breathing problems. [6]
• Cooking may not make celery safe. A lab study of the major celery allergen Api g 1 found that heat breaks it down and reduces IgE binding, but acidic conditions can leave heat-resistant forms that still bind IgE. [4] So "I only eat it cooked" is not a reliable safety rule for someone with an allergy. Ask an allergy specialist.
• Labels. In the EU celery and products made from it must be declared (item 9 of Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011). [5] Celery shows up in stock, spice mixes, soups and sauces; read labels.
• Furocoumarins and the sun. Celery contains furocoumarins (psoralens). With UV light they can cause blistering and later darker skin patches (phytophotodermatitis). Typical dietary amounts are usually too low; risk is higher in people who regularly handle celery, who eat fungus-infected produce, or who use tanning beds. [7] The plant family (Apiaceae) is a known family of phototoxic plants. [8] We did not find a source that gives a safe amount, so none is given here.
• Warfarin and vitamin K. See above. [9][10] Do not change a prescribed medicine on your own. Keep intake steady and follow your clinic's advice. See foods and medicine interactions.
• Potassium, kidney disease and some blood pressure medicines. Celery has 260 mg of potassium per 100 g, a moderate amount. [1] MedlinePlus says people with kidney problems should not eat too many potassium-rich foods and lists ACE inhibitors, ARBs and potassium-sparing diuretics as medicines that can raise blood potassium. [14] Ask a clinician about your own situation.
• Sodium. Raw celery has 80 mg of sodium per 100 g (3% of the Daily Value). [1] That is natural sodium, small compared with salted or processed foods.
• Natural nitrate. A US retail survey of 194 samples found conventional celery averaged 1,496 mg nitrate per kg fresh weight and organic-labeled celery 912 mg/kg, with nitrite low (0.1 to 1.2 mg/kg for most samples). [12] Nitrate is not harmful in itself in normal eating; the 2026 review that discusses nitrate-rich vegetables notes caution for infants and people with impaired kidney function. [13] Celery juice powder is also used as a "natural" curing ingredient in meat products. [21] This is a food-technology fact, not a health claim.
• Pesticide residues. We could not read the EWG or USDA Pesticide Data Program pages (access was blocked), so we make no claim about celery residues. Washing is covered below.
• Pregnancy and supplements. We did not read a source on celery as a food in pregnancy; ordinary food amounts are not flagged in the sources we read. Celery seed extracts are a separate product; see the celery seed page.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Rinse celery under running water; do not use soap, detergent or commercial produce washes. Washing reduces bacteria but does not remove all of them. [15]
• Cut away damaged or bruised parts and throw away produce that looks rotten. [15]
• Refrigerate pre-cut or packaged celery and keep fresh produce at 40°F (4°C) or below. [15]
• Frozen and canned produce have their own page: fresh, frozen and canned produce.

Related pages

• Celery seed
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Foods and medicine interactions: vitamin K, grapefruit and others
• Dietary nitrate in beets and leafy greens
• Detox foods and juice cleanse claims
• Fruit juice vs whole fruit