Celery Juice For Weight Loss: Why It Doesn’t Work, And What To Drink Instead

Celery—it’s the low-calorie, high-fiber food that’s often touted as a dieter’s best friend. Chop up celery stalks and pair them with a low calorie dip for a healthy snack, or add them to a green salad for some extra crunch. But can celery really help you lose weight? The idea that celery juice is a magical weight loss elixir has been circulating for a while now. You may have seen people sipping on celery juice on social media, or heard about the benefits of drinking celery juice from a friend or family member. And while there’s no denying that celery is a healthy food, the claims that it can help you lose weight on its own are unfounded. Here’s why celery juice alone won’t help you lose weight, and what you should drink instead if you’re looking to shed a few pounds.

Is Celery Juice Good For Weight Loss?

To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit—meaning you need to burn more calories than you consume.   This translates to eating fewer calories than you burn through exercise and everyday activities (9). 

While celery juice won’t help you lose weight on its own, it may help you lose weight as part of a calorie-restricted diet. The main benefit of celery juice is that it’s low in calories. 

A cup of celery juice has just 30 calories, which means it’s a great replacement for sugary drinks like soda or fruit juice. Swapping high-calorie drinks for low-calorie options like celery juice can help you create a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss. 

Drinking a glass of pure celery juice before a meal might also help you eat fewer calories overall. One study found that people who drank water before a meal ate fewer calories at that meal (10). It’s possible that celery juice could have a similar effect.

What Happens If You Drink Celery Juice For A Week?

Celery juice may have several other benefits:

Lower Inflammation

Celery juice is high in phytonutrients (plant-based compounds) that have anti-inflammatory properties. The main class of phytonutrients in celery is called luteolin (2). 

Luteolin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in test tube studies. High levels of chronic inflammation have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (1).

Control Blood Pressure

Celery juice may help lower blood pressure. It contains nitrates—compounds that convert to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a gas that relaxes blood vessels and helps improve blood flow (1).

The nitrates in celery juice aren’t harmful like those found in processed meats that are linked to negative health effects.

Lower Cholesterol

Celery juice may also help lower cholesterol levels. In one older study, celery extract was found to reduce serum cholesterol in rats with genetically high cholesterol (6).

More research needs to be done to understand what, if any, effect eating celery or drinking celery juice may have on cholesterol in humans. 

Read More: Celery Juice Detox: Does It Work?

Downsides Of Drinking Celery Juice

While there are some potential benefits of drinking celery juice, there are also a few downsides to consider. 

High Sodium Content

Celery juice is high in sodium, which can be a problem for people with high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure. A cup of celery juice has about 400 mg of sodium—nearly 18% of the Daily Value (DV) (8).

To put this into perspective, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day for most people (about 1 tsp of salt) (7).So, a cup of celery juice represents almost 20% of the AHA’s daily recommended sodium intake. Some people are recommended by their doctors to limit their sodium intake even further than that.

If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart failure, it’s best to avoid or limit foods that are high in sodium, like celery juice.

Lack Of Fiber

Juicing celery also removes the fiber from the vegetable. Fiber is an important nutrient that has a number of health benefits, including supporting weight loss, improved digestion, and lower cholesterol levels (5).Without fiber, celery juice doesn’t offer the same health benefits as eating whole celery.

What To Drink Instead Of Celery Juice For Weight Loss

If you’re looking to lose weight, there are better beverages to drink than celery juice. Some of these beverages are suggested by science to help with weight loss, and they offer other health benefits as well.

Green Tea

Green tea is a great alternative to celery juice for weight loss. It contains catechins—compounds that may boost metabolism and increase fat burning. Green tea is also a good source of antioxidants, which have numerous health benefits (3). 

Coffee

Like green tea, coffee contains compounds that may boost metabolism and increase fat burning. Coffee is also a good source of antioxidants. In addition, coffee can help you feel full and reduce your appetite. This is important because feeling full can help you eat fewer calories and lose weight (4). It can also help give you some extra energy for exercise, an important part of any weight loss routine.

Read More: Celery Juice Diet: Does This So-Called ‘Magic Potion’ Actually Work For Weight Loss?

Water

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for weight loss. It’s calorie-free, and it can help you feel fuller and eat fewer calories. Water is also essential for many other functions in the body, including detoxification, digestion, and joint lubrication (10). 

Celery Smoothie

Smoothies differ from juices because they contain the whole fruit or vegetable, including the fiber. This makes them a much healthier option, especially for weight loss.

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to celery juice, try making a celery smoothie. Simply blend celery, water, and your favorite fruits and vegetables in a blender. You can add other ingredients to boost the nutrition and health benefits.

Some ingredients that you may want to add to your smoothie include: 

• Ginger – Ginger is thought to boost metabolism and promote weight loss. 
• Turmeric – Turmeric is a spice that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 
• Cayenne pepper – Cayenne pepper may help boost metabolism. 
• Protein powder – Protein powder can help you feel full and promote weight loss. 
• Seeds – Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds are all good sources of fiber and nutrients. 
• Nuts – Nuts are a good source of protein, healthy fats, and fiber. 
• Leafy greens – Adding leafy greens to your smoothie will increase the nutrient and antioxidant content.

How To Make Celery Juice For Weight Loss

Pure, homemade celery juice is the best option for weight loss. To make celery juice, you will need a juicer.

If you don’t have a juicer, you can use a blender. However, you may need to strain the pulp from the juice using a cheesecloth or coffee filter, or leave it in if you prefer.

Ingredients:

•  1 bunch organic celery

Instructions:

1. Wash the celery thoroughly. 
2. Cut off the ends and chop the celery into pieces that will fit into your juicer. 
3. Run the celery through the juicer, and collect the juice in a glass or pitcher.
4. If using a blender, blend the celery until it’s smooth. Strain the pulp from the juice using a cheesecloth or coffee filter. 
5. Drink the celery juice immediately, or store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about celery juice and weight loss? Here are some answers to common questions. 

Does Celery Help You Lose Belly Fat?

Celery is a good source of fiber and antioxidants, but it’s not going to help you lose belly fat. In fact, there’s no food that can help you spot-reduce fat from any specific area of your body.

When you lose weight, you’ll lose fat from all over your body, including your belly. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means you need to burn more calories than you’re consuming.

The best way to do this is to make sure you’re eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. If you’re looking to specifically target belly fat, adding cardio and strength-training to your routine will help (9).

What’s The Best Time To Drink Celery Juice For Weight Loss?

Drinking celery juice before meals may help you eat fewer calories and lose weight. This is because celery juice (or any other fluid) can help you feel fuller, so you’re less likely to overeat. It’s also low in calories, so it won’t add many calories to your diet.

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s also important to avoid drinking high-calorie beverages like juices and sodas. These drinks can quickly add up, and they can prevent you from losing weight. Stick to water, unsweetened green tea, and black coffee instead.

How Much Weight Can I Lose By Drinking Celery Juice?

A safe and healthy rate of weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week. This means that if you drink celery juice every day as part of a low-calorie diet and include exercise, you may lose up to 8 pounds in a month

Of course, this will depend on other factors as well, including your diet and exercise habits. If you make other changes to your lifestyle along with drinking celery juice, you may see even better results. 

The Bottom Line

Celery juice is a popular beverage that’s often touted for its health benefits, including weight loss. However, there’s no evidence to support these claims. Instead, there are better beverages to drink for weight loss, like green tea, coffee, and water. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to celery juice, try making a celery smoothie or just eating celery whole as a snack.