Celery Seed

Description

Celery is a biennial plant indigenous to southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is also found in North and South America. Celery grows in damp places and resembles domestic celery, except that it has a less agreeable taste and is smaller in size. In its second year the plant produces an angular furrowed stem reaching three feet in height. It bears dark green leaves that are opposite, shiny, and primate, having wedge-shaped, incised, toothed leaflets. From July to November, white to gray-white flowers appear in paniculate compound umbels. The fruits are dark brown, elliptic-ovate seeds. The medicinal parts are the roots, leaves and seeds.

Other common names: Garden Celery, Smallage, Wild Celery

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

* For definition of some of the above terms see the dictionary section of this book.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION

PROPERTIES AND USES

Antispasmodic - an agent which relieves or prevents spasms, usually of the smooth muscles; barbiturates and valerian are examples of antispasmodics.

Appetizer - a substance which stimulates the appetite.

Aromatic - an agent with an agreeable odor and other stimulating qualities.

Carminative - an agent which assists in the expelling gas from the intestines.

Diuretic - Diuretics form a class of drugs which increase the volume of urine produced by the kidneys. It can be used effectively to treat mild cases of edema when kidney function is good and when the underlying abnormality of cardiac function, capillary pressure, or salt retention is being corrected simultaneously. Diuretics are not an appropriate treatment for edema caused by inflammation of the kidneys, and are useless in cardiac edema associated with advanced kidney insufficiency. There are a variety of diuretics with different modes of action. Among the diuretics are spironolactones, triamterene, and theobromine.

Emmenagogue - an agent which stimulates menstrual flow.

Sedative - Sedatives are a class of drugs which function to quiet nervous excitement and reduce motor activity without inducing sleep. They are used in the management of neuroses and in the treatment of anxiety and apprehension accompanying various disease states such as hypertension. Sedatives commonly function to induce reversible depression of the central nervous system. Examples of this class are Phenobarbital, secobarbital sodium, and pentobarbital.

Stimulant - an agent that temporarily increases the activity or physiological processes. Stimulants may be classified according to the organ upon which they act; for example, an intestinal stimulant is that which stimulates the intestines.

Tonic - an agent which strengthens or tones.

Celery produces perspiration and is useful for nervousness. It should be cooked with milk and eaten freely to neutralize uric acid and other excess acids in the body, thus aiding in the treatment of rheumatism. Celery is useful for headaches when taken as a tea. The seeds and stems have been used in Australia as an acid neutralizer.

Celery seed is used almost exclusively as a diuretic. Since it is very powerful, it is often used alone in severe cases of gout, edema, and dropsy. At other times, small amounts are added to diuretic herbal blends to provide reliable action. The herb is also used to treat kidney and bladder disorders, but is avoided if the kidneys are inflamed.

Celery seed is sometimes used as a carminative and antispasmodic in the digestive system. This action depends on the presence of its volatile oil. Celery has been used on occasion for rheumatism and arthritis, although it its efficacy against those ailments has not been established. Celery plant, not the seed, is purported to be emmenagogic.

TOXICITY FACTORS

Celery's volatile oils in large amounts can sedate the central nervous system; some think this makes the oils more toxic than therapeutic.

DRUG PRECAUTIONS AND INTERACTIONS

Known Interactions - None

Possible Interactions - The antiarrhythmic agent, quinidine, may increase the hypoprothrombinemic effect of celery. Vitamin K, menadione and menadiol sodium diphosphate may antagonize the anticoagulant effects of coumarins, such as celery.

Comments - The hypoglycemic action of celery may be decreased by the use of acetazolamide, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, dextrothyroxine, epinephrine, ethanol, glucagon, and marijuana. In addition, the antidiabetic effects of celery may be decreased by phenothiazines, rifampin, thiazide diuretics, and thyroid hormones. Conversely, the antidiabetic action of celery may be enhanced by salicylates, sulfinpyrazone, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. The antidiabetic action of celery may also be enhanced by allopurinol, anabolic steroids, chloramphenicol, chlofibrate, fenfluramine, guanethidine, monamine oxidase inhibitors, phenylbutazone, and probenecid.

Comments - The hypoglycemic action of celery may be decreased by the use of acetazolamide, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, dextrothyroxine, epinephrine, ethanol, glucagon, and marijuana. In addition, the antidiabetic effects of celery may be decreased by phenothiazines, rifampin, thiazide diuretics, and thyroid hormones. Conversely, the antidiabetic action of celery may be enhanced by salicylates, sulfinpyrazone, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. The antidiabetic action of celery may also be enhanced by allopurinol, anabolic steroids, chloramphenicol, chlofibrate, fenfluramine, guanethidine, monamine oxidase inhibitors, phenylbutazone, and probenecid.

Although the coumarin content of celery is not high at normal usage levels, it is important to note that coumarins can affect the action of almost any drug.

In the absence of other hard data, it may still be assumed that observable interactions may occur between the many central nervous system drugs and the psychoactive principles in celery.

There is evidence to show that combining bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents will lower the effectiveness of the bacteriostatic agent. However, how this finding applies to herbal anti-infectives is still unknown.