What You Need To Know About Celery Seeds And How It Can Help Your Gout
Celery seed has been used as medicine for thousands of years in many parts of the world but not that well known here in the West. Indian Ayurvedic medicine used celery seed to treat colds, flu, water retention, poor digestion, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. In Greek history, the people used celery as a sign of victory. The Romans would later use it as seasoning. Not long after, celery seed would become a delicacy for the French and Italians as well. Later in the 19th century, the North Americans would discover celery seed as a pickling ingredient.
Celery seed is a very powerful and flavourful spice that you can dress your salad with, you can also add it in soups, casseroles and curries. It has a grassy, bitter taste that makes it ideal for pickling and brining vegetables as well. To reduce its bitter taste, you can use the celery seed to cook. This process enhances the spice’s sweet flavor instead. Depending on where the celery seeds are sourced, they can taste lemonlike (India) or herbal (French). Celery seed goes beyond its culinary use since it has many health benefits as an alternative medicine for us gout sufferers backed by many people who suffer from the disease. Celery seeds may help relieve and prevent many conditions like gout, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol and hypertension.
What makes celery seeds so effective?
Celery seeds are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, diuretic oils (3-n-Butylpthalidewhich which gives celery its distinctive smell and taste) a very powerful diuretic that cleanses the system of excess fluids and like other diuretics which include coffee and guarana, celery seed stimulates the kidneys causing the body to flush out uric acid and the crystals that causes gout in the first place. What it does is, it may help enable your renal system to excrete uric acid more effectively as well as alkalize your blood. It does this by helping your body get rid of too much water by increasing your urine output.
Celery seeds may also help with lowering inflammation and according to James Duke, Ph.D., a medical botanist formerly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and author of the best sellers “The Green Pharmacy” and “The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook”; celery seeds contain about twenty different anti-inflammatory agents! This is a man that had gout and used celery seed extract to keep his uric acid levels in check. He claims to not have had a gout attack since!
In addition, according to Kerry Bone, a leading expert on herbal remedies has stated that it works brilliantly with his patients. But the truth is there haven’t been many studies done to scientifically prove that celery seed is indeed an effective treatment on gout except for a study done in China using lab rats which did indeed conclude that celery seed did decrease uric acid levels in those rats. In the study, they found that celery seed extract had an effect on reducing serum uric acid levels in rats that had hyperuricemia and swollen ankle joints. Click here (Published in 2008 Food Science by authors Tong Guo-hui, Zhang Yi, Zhang Yao-nan, Li Hong, Liu Jie)
How do I use celery seed?
Celery seed can be taken naturally as fresh or as dried seeds but it is not recommended to eat the seeds themselves as they tend to be bitter and can be hard to swallow. They are also available as tablets and the recommended dosage is 500 mg (standardized to 450 mg of celery seed extract) 2 times daily. Furthermore, it can be taken in capsules filled with celery seed oil and finally you can also take it as an extract which works best. You can also find celery seed as a key ingredient in my proprietary blend which is sold on Amazon called NutriGout. Since celery seed is a diuretic, it is important to drink plenty of water.
What about celery stalks and juice?
Celery juice was trending awhile ago due to its health benefits but you’re probably wondering if it’s just as good as celery seed. For gout, it is not since celery stalks do not contain as many beneficial compounds as celery seed. It would be better for you to consume celery seeds than celery juice. However, you are encouraged to still eat celery stalks as they are high in fiber which can help reduce gout attacks. If you’re going to juice celery, you can throwin some celery seeds to make it more nutritious.
What is in celery seed?
Like all medicinal plants, the oils of the celery plant are most concentrated in the seed providing us with the strongest medicinal effect. Celery seeds contain several substances including volatile oils like flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin which both have very strong anti-inflammatory properties), antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids, coumarins, mild blood-thinning compounds and diuretic oils. All these combined compounds work together to fight a number of common conditions like gout.
Celery Seed Dosage
Celery seed and its extract can be available in capsule form. You can easily find it at health stores or stores that specialize in natural medicine. You may also do a search online for celery seed supplements. It will typically be available in 600 to 1000 mg doses.
If you’re going to buy celery seed as a spice at the grocery store, make sure to store it properly with your other spices in the kitchen. Keep it away from heat and store in a cool area.
Other Health Benefits of Celery Seed
Celery Seed Can Help with Blood Pressure
Celery seed shows some promising benefits for patients with blood pressure. In a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, they found that rats with high blood pressure and were treated with celery seed extract had experienced lower blood pressure. However, the same effect was not seen in rats with normal blood pressure.
Celery Seed May Help with Cancer
Celery seed contains anti-cancer properties that may help fight certain cancers like liver cancer and stomach cancer. The seed is said to prevent the development of the cells so they don’t grow in the body. Celery seed’s antioxidant properties can also help remove free radicals in the body. Free radicals cause damage to the DNA which play a role in the development of cancer.
Celery Seed Can Help with Anti-Inflammatory Conditions
In a study published in the Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it was found that celery seed can have healing effects on anti-inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. Celery seed is said to have chemical properties that can reduce inflammation and possibly even treat these conditions.
Are there any risks?
Since celery seed is a diuretic, you may experience a faster flow of urine which can reduce water and sodium levels in your body. If you are taking blood-thinning medication, lithium, or thyroid medicine, it may interact with celery seed.
If you are obviously allergic to celery seeds, it can be very dangerous for you, if not fatal. It may cause a mild allergic reaction such as a skin reaction or something as severe as anaphylaxis.
Pregnant women should not use it either which can stimulate the uterus and increases the chances of a miscarriage or premature birth. Make sure to talk to your doctor before using celery seed to avoid any side effects with any other therapies or medication.
39 replies to "Gout and Celery Seeds"
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I’m on day 3 of a gout attack in my foot. I’m taking celery seed 200 mg twice daily. I’ll report the results back in a day or two.
I have had gout attacks a few times a year over the last few years. The first time it happened, I thought it was tendonitis since it happened after a 5k walk. But the pain showed up 2 days after the 5k. I had to hop on over to urgent care, they gave me crutches and vicodin and told me to ice it. It happened again 6 months later and now it’s happening more frequently. My doctor gave me colchicine and some vicodin for pain.
I am looking for a long term solution since this is really started to affect my life. The other day I had to crawl back to my couch from the car as I didn’t have my crutches with me. So yeah, that sucked 🙁
Two questions for you:
1. How do I make sure for a fact that I have gout? Since some people thought it was a form of tendonitis a few years ago
2. Should I just start with celery seed extract (from amazon) and tart cherry extract?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Umar!
Best that you go get a blood test done and see if indeed you have high uric acid levels and do suffer from gout. Once you know for sure, then you can begin to seek advice to treat it. Best bet is to visit a rheumatologist soon and take it from there.
Would you recommend taking celery seed and tart cherry capsules and Nutrigout capsules? Currently I drink tart cherry juice twice a day and two stalks of celery a day yet it’s not always possible. I am getting some relief yet I have suffered for over 6 months with pain in both big toes. I soo need relief from this pain it is effecting my entire life. Please reply since I am leaving on vacation soon and think capsules would be easier to take! Thank you!
Hi Rebecca!
For pain and inflammation, customers always prefer the cream. You apply up to 4 times on the affected joint for daily improvement. NutriGout has celery seed in it already so there is no reason to take more. NutriGout is more for long term care for your kidneys where uric acid is produced to help cleanse them. Tart Cherry too is an excellent addition for uric acid control and to help manage pain.
My uric acid was 7.6. My doctor prescribe me allopurinol 300mg. I am taking also celery seed extract. Also I have I think, is the deposited uric acid crystals on my toe. Will the medications reduce or dissolve the crystals?
Hi Danny!
Yes he allopurinol works to dissolve the uric acid crystals lodged in your joints. Celery seed just like the ingredients in NutriGout, help cleanse your kidneys where uric acid is produced but can’t completely cure your gout like allopurinol.
Hi Barry, thanks for the reply. Is it safe to take allopurinol 300mg for long time. I read that the crystals needs long time to dissolve. Maybe a year or two. Can it be taken everyday until the crystals completely dissolve?
Hi Spiro!
My doctor has prescribed allopurinol to prevent gout attacks but it seems to me that it is – for me, anyway – acting as a diuretic. I do have an enlarged prostate gland for which I am taking medication, but the coincidence of the drug and increased urination is to great to ignore. Or am I simply imagining the connection?
I have just started taking celery seeds (8000 mg once a day) and drinking lemon balm tea as a prelude to stopping the drug. Is that a good idea?
I am 80 and I get 3 to 4 gout attacks a year. Kidney function always passes the blood tests okay. My mother suffered from gout.
I keep colchicine handy to treat an attack, but I am careful with the dosage.
Thank you!
It depends Barry on how bad your uric acid is. Some people can control with these natural remedies but most can’t, so it’s best to let your doctor know at least although he/she may not be a fan of your plan. Make sure to have the colchicine handy.
[…] the production of inflammatory cytokines. Spiro Koulouris, you can find his blog about gout here, advocates the use of natural remedies for treating gout and one of those is celery seed […]
I suffer from gout attacks. I get them about once a year, sometimes less frequently. Celery seed is the only thing that gives me any relief and it’s almost instantly. When I feel an attack coming on I pop a bunch in my mouth chew them up a bit swallow and I gets the attack away.
I’ve only had gout once and it was a surprise so it took me a while to work out what was going on…particularly as I eat pretty well – which, as it turns out, didn’t help because I gather lentils, beetroot, oily fish don’t really help.
I had it in the heel. Less common I gather but it was after a bout of the winter vomiting bug, so I assume my dehydration played a part in getting it.
I researched online and read about celery seeds being used with some dairy product; theory being that the seeds break up the acid crystals into a form that allows the dairy to carry it our of the body.
So, as I’ve liked celery seeds since my teens anyway (often with a little cheese) I renewed my supply, cooked boiled veg with them, put them in food and in a cheese sandwich etc over a day. Result: overnight it eliminated the problem and I’ve never had it since.
Could be co-incidence but I’d had it bad for a few days and that was the only thing I actively did for it beyond keeping fluids up – which I was doing before anyway when I had it.
I’m pretty sure it worked for me. They taste great too.
Does flax seed reduce uric acid?
You can check out my post on Gout and Flax Seeds but in general it is helpful to your gout and overall.
Iv read that diuretics are bad for gout. So how can celary be good? Angry at the conflicting info on gout.
Celery seeds make you pee more flushing out uric acid out of the body. As for diuretics you can learn more about these drugs here.
I found celery seed in the supermarket and how can I use it? Please advise.
Simply eat it! Add it in your salad dressing is one great example.
Been taking 300 mg celery seed extract and 900 mg cayenne with ginger daily. The Christmas fare has pushed my blood uric acid to 13.1! Will increase celery seed extract to your recommended 500 mg daily, test next month, and report back with the results. Thanks.
[…] source […]
[…] Discover the little seed that can help lower your uric acid […]
I’ve had excellent luck with both celery and with celery seed extract, 500mg once a day. I also have some sold as a spice, and there’s also celery salt, unknown percentage of (ground) celery seed and salt. But right now there seems to be a shortage of the capsules, is anything going on? Googling around, I don’t see anyone suggesting there should be a shortage.
Try Amazon.com, I’m sure you can find. I use celery seed as well in NutriGout formula.
My adult downs syndrome son suffers from gout. He is on day 9 of an attack right now. Is 800mg of celery seed something to be concerned about for lowering his already low blood pressure?
Is celery seed something that you can take everyday to maintain healthy uric acid levels vs. pharma drugs?
Hi Annie!
I don’t know enough about your son’s health to tell you. Please consult your doctor due to the fact that he also suffers from low blood pressure and also consult a nutrionist. 800mg is on the higher range, usually anything below 250mg is safe.
Can I take the celery seed capsule with ascorbic acid, arcoxia and colchicine? Is 1500mg a day maybe too strong for me? Because I suffer light to moderate pain since I tried this food supplement.
Hi Roel!
Ouf! Tough question, since I don’t know enough about you. Best you speak to your doctor about it.
Monitor your bp often. if your bp and pulse are way above normal, chances are your building up acidity, and an attack may be imminent. Substitute calcium ascorbate for ascorbic acid, and celecoxib (celebrex) for arcoxia. Bring down your acidity with sodium bicarb, until your pulse rate normalizes, then discountinue.
Great site Spiro… keep up the good work.
I’m a pretty bad Gout sufferer and after my last attack which resulted in another 2 weeks off work I decided against my Docs wishes to attempt self medication. My plan is to take celery seed & cherry tart extract along with a Bananna and 3-4 litres of water per day & limit alcohol consumption to weekends only.
I have a uric acid meter and will track my progress weekly. I’m actually pretty hopeful that this will yield promising results quickly…
Fingers crossed 🙂
Cheers
Gaz
How long did it take the natural way to resolve the gout attack?
Can I take cherry extract and celery seed at the same time? Both in pill format.
I don’t know your personal health situation. Always consult with your doctor beforehand but you can generally take both at the same time, these are natural remedies that very little folk have any issues with.
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