Eating celery regularly may nudge blood pressure downward, according to a meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials with 511 participants published in Frontiers in Nutrition in July 2025. The pooled analysis found significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic pressure, along with a favorable safety profile in the included studies.
The size of the effect is modest in statistical terms. Researchers reported a standardized mean difference of −1.0 for systolic blood pressure and −0.93 for diastolic pressure, both statistically significant. Higher doses mattered. Celery seed or celery preparations exceeding 1,000 mg per day were more effective than lower doses or other parts of the plant.
Why a small number is not a small deal at the population level. The same review notes that a sustained 2 mmHg drop in average systolic pressure can lower the incidence of stroke and ischemic heart disease by roughly 6 percent and 5 percent, respectively. That is the leverage of even a modest, sustained change in blood pressure across many people.
How celery affects blood pressure
Celery contains several compounds with plausible cardiovascular actions. A 2024 narrative review in the International Journal of Food Science, by Sondos Alobaidi and Eman Saleh, describes celery seed as acting through vasodilation, mild diuretic effects, and calcium channel blocking, similar in mechanism to a class of blood pressure drugs.
Also read: Cold plunges are everywhere right now: what the evidence actually shows for your body
The phthalide 3-n-butylphthalide, abundant in celery seed, appears to relax the smooth muscle in artery walls. Apigenin, a plant flavonoid found in the stalks and seeds, has been linked to improved function of the vessel lining and to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 activity, part of the body's blood pressure regulation system.
Potassium and magnesium round out the picture. Potassium helps counteract the pressure-raising effect of sodium in the diet. The American Heart Association recommends 3,500 to 5,000 mg of potassium a day from food for adults trying to prevent or treat high blood pressure. A medium stalk of raw celery supplies about 100 mg, so celery contributes to intake without carrying much of the load on its own.
The form and dose make a difference
Trials that produced the largest blood pressure drops used concentrated celery seed extracts, not stalks eaten raw.
The narrative review cites studies where 250 mg of celery stem extract cut systolic pressure by nearly 10 mmHg, and 1.34 g of celery seed extract lowered systolic pressure by about 11 mmHg and diastolic by about 8 mmHg.
Also read: New cholesterol guidelines just put more than half of US adults in line for a statin
Fresh celery eaten in ordinary amounts is not the same intervention. The meta-analysis grouped a wide range of preparations, from capsules and extracts to juice and dried celery, over treatment periods of 12 to 84 days.
The safest reading of the evidence: adding celery to daily meals fits a heart-healthy pattern, but the strongest blood pressure effects came from standardized extracts at gram-level doses in short trials.
Broader daily-consumption effects of the vegetable have been covered previously in our reporting on celery juice.
What this means for a heart-healthy plate
Celery is low in calories and high in water, and it fits comfortably inside dietary patterns already tied to lower blood pressure, such as DASH, which emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and reduced sodium. The 2025 meta-analysis also found improvements in fasting glucose and triglycerides, though total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL did not change significantly across the pooled trials.
Also read: What cutting red meat from your diet may do to your heart and gut
Anyone taking blood pressure medication, blood thinners, or diuretics should talk to their doctor before starting concentrated celery seed extract, since the plant's active compounds can add to the effect of those drugs. For most people, eating a few stalks a day is a low-risk addition to meals rather than a substitute for treatment.
Also read: 4 popular foods that may be hard on your liver
This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.