There are many folk prescriptions of reducing high blood pressure in China. For example, many Chinese people treat blood pressure by eating celery, potato, onion, banana and kelp. Can these foods really reduce high blood pressure? Celery will be taken as an example to verify its effective role in treating high blood pressure.

Celery is one of common vegetables at the dining table in China. It is also a main component of salad in America. As celery can be pan-fried or can be served cold, it is convenient for people to eat. According to the medical research findings, celery has high value for drugs. In addition, celery can also promote sexual excitation and reduce the sperm count to help women practice contraception. Therefore, celery is also called “couple dish” in many countries.

The petiole of celery contains abundant water and it is an excellent source of . However, the content of vitamin A and vitamin C contained in celery is not high. The celery petiole should be eaten together with celery leaves, as celery leaves contains a large amount of calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. As the content of iron contained in celery is rather high, the patients with iron-deficiency anemia should often eat celery to supplement iron. Potassium contained in celery plays an important role in treating high blood pressure and its complications. Potassium can also help the patients treat vascular sclerosis and neurasthenia. In addition, celery leaves and stems contain some fragrant volatile substances which can enhance the appetite for people. The blood sugar can also be lowered by celery. People can prevent and treat gout by eating celery frequently, as celery can neutralize uric acid and other acid substances inside the human body. Abundant crude fibers contained in celery can stimulate the gastrointestinal motility and promote cacation. People can also make full use of celery to treat many small diseases. For example, many people eat celery to eliminate edema, as the leaves, stems and roots of celery can promote urination and accelerate the discharge of excessive water from the human body.

A kind of cold vegetable dish made of celery, carrot and shelled peanut is rather beneficial to the health of the patients with obesity, high blood pressure and constipation. People can scald celery and carrot in boiling water, cook shelled peanut thoroughly, and then mix these ingredients together with some spices. The dish can help people keep healthy.