Celery seed, whose sharp, refreshing flavor you may have tasted in pickles or sauerkraut, is also a useful herbal medicine. Celery seed has had varied uses around the world for thousands of years. Recent scientific studies have shown that certain chemicals in celery seed may actually help problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and anxiety. Celery seed may also help prevent cancer.

Celery seed has long been used to treat both arthritis and muscle spasm. Several chemicals in celery seed block inflammation or relieve pain. Others chemicals relax muscles that are in spasm. Celery seed contains calcium, which can help relax muscle cramps.

Certain chemicals in celery seed are anti-bacterial, while others are diuretic, meaning that they help remove water from the body in the form of urine. This helps wash away bacteria and the minerals that cause kidney and bladder stones.

Several chemicals in celery seed are hypotensive, meaning that they help lower blood pressure. Celery seeds are also rich in calcium, which may also lower blood pressure.

Celery seed has long been used in traditional medicine to treat gout and kidney stones. It lowers the levels of uric acid in the body.

Studies in lab animals show that celery seed prevents liver damage caused by toxic chemicals. It has been used for centuries as a liver tonic.

Celery seed strengthens muscles in the uterus, which helps increase menstrual flow.

A compound in celery seed called limonene acts as a mild tranquilizer. The calcium in celery seed helps calm tense nerves.

Celery seed may also help prevent cancer. A number of chemicals in celery seed prevented tumors in lab animals exposed to cancer-causing substances.

Celery seeds come from the same plant whose stalks we've all eaten and cooked with. If you've never seen the stalks in their natural habitat, the celery plant is slender and stands about two to three feet tall. It has three to five segmented leaves, and flowers with small white petals. The seeds come from the flowers, are very small, are tan to dark brown, and have a strong, pleasant smell.

Volatile oils (including apiol), flavonoids, boron, calcium, iron, limonene, sodium, zinc, 3-N-butyl-phthalide, alpha-linolenic-acid, beta-eudesmol, guaiacol, isoimperatorin, isoquercitrin, limonene, p-cymene, terpinen-4-ol, umbelliferone.

• Fresh or dried seeds
• Tablets
• Capsules filled with celery seed oil
• Celery seed extract, in which the active ingredients of celery seed have been extracted by alcohol or glycerin

• Celery seed oil capsules or tablets: Take one to two capsules or tablets three times a day, as directed by your health care provider.
• Celery seed extract: Take 1/4 to 1/2 tsp three times a day, or as directed by your health care provider. (Always take with plenty of juice or with water at mealtime, unless instructed otherwise.)
• Whole celery seeds: Prepare a tea by pouring boiling water over one teaspoon (1 to 3 g) of freshly crushed seeds. Let it steep for 10 to 20 minutes before drinking. Drink this tea three times a day.

• Do not use celery seed if you are, or could be, pregnant.
• Celery seed is a safe herb. One word of caution, though. If you use it as a diuretic, consult your doctor first. Diuretics can deplete your body of potassium, which is an essential nutrient.
• Also, don't use celery seeds from a garden packet. Most seeds sold for planting have been treated with chemicals and shouldn't be taken internally.

No noteworthy interactions (positive or negative) between celery seed and conventional medications are known to have been reported in the literature to date.

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