3 Things Celery Juice Can Do For Your Health & 4 Things It Can’t

Biggest myth first: Any wellness trend that claims to "detox" your system is at best a waste of money, and at worst, can potentially do damage to your digestive system. Your body already flushes toxins out of your system using your liver, according to Cleveland Clinic. Celery, which is 95 percent water, can help you stay hydrated when juiced, which can help your body's digestive system on its way. Eating a nutrient-rich diet and getting regular physical activity can also help flush toxins out of your body, but Cleveland Clinic says drinking a special juice won't enhance that process.

You might think there's no sugar in your celery juice because it's made of a vegetable that's pretty much fiber and water, but there's actually a little bit of sugar in celery. And just like when you juice any fruit or vegetable, says the TODAY Show, juicing celery concentrates the sugar content of celery. Consuming sugar isn’t inherently bad, but if you’re juicing celery, you might be consuming more sugar than you intended to.

When you eat actual celery stalks, studies have shown that celery does have a lot of health benefits, including the potential to lower inflammation, reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of cancer, and prevent age-related vision loss, according to Medical News Today. Juicing celery will still give you the veggie's vitamins C and K, as well as essential minerals like potassium and folate, Cleveland Clinic says. But juicing celery (as opposed to, say, incorporating it into a smoothie) strains out all the fiber that's associated with those benefits above. Whether those benefits translate to celery juice is up for debate.

Some people recommend that you drink celery juice on an empty stomach to reap the full health benefits, but Dr. Gabriella Safieh with Parsley Health says there's no medical evidence to support drinking celery juice on an empty stomach has any benefit. So if you want to start drinking celery juice, drink it whenever you want.

Despite what you might be seeing on social media, there really isn't any medical evidence that it has the amazing health benefits people are saying it does. "There isn't much scientific evidence to support the majority of health claims about drinking celery juice," Malina Malkani, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told CNN. "In general, if a food fad, diet, or service sounds too good to be true, you can assume that it is."

Part of the reason celery juice's health benefits are up for debate is because when you juice celery, you lose all its healthy fiber, according to the TODAY Show, which is what makes celery a more filling snack and can contribute to better gut health. "Juicing celery (and any other vegetable) strips away the beneficial fiber that helps you feel fuller longer, improves intestinal health and feeds the health bacteria in your gut," Malkani, told CNN.

Juicing celery isn't bad for you, but it's important to go in with eyes wide open. "If you enjoy the flavor of celery juice, have at it!" Malkani told CNN . "But don't jump on the Instagram bandwagon, hoping that celery juice will be the cure-all you've been searching for all your life."

The bottom line is if you enjoy that glass of celery juice, there's no reason to stop drinking it. Just know there's currently no medical evidence to back the claims that it will cure a specific medical ailment. However, there is plenty of evidence that lots of people love their celery juice, and that should be reason enough for anyone to keep raising their glass.