There’s More Than Munch in a Celery Bunch

Celery might be a great side with chicken wings (skinless, of course), but a flavonoid recently identified in this snappy veggie might help to keep your brain from sprouting feathers and your memory from taking flight.

According to researchers at the University of Illinois, celery contains a flavonoid known as luteolin that exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may offer protection from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. By using mice-derived microglia (specialized cells that provide the first line of immune defense in the central nervous system) the researchers were able to observe this effect. When the microglia were exposed to bacteria in vitro, the inflammatory response decreased when luteolin was introduced.

In a follow-up experiment, the researchers added luteolin to the drinking water of mice for three weeks and then injected bacteria into the same subjects. Four hours later, blood tests revealed a decrease in proinflammatory mediators circulating in the blood. Even more promising is the fact that the researchers discovered decreased inflammation in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that regulates learning and memory.

Clearly, the idea that celery is devoid of any nutritional value can now be forgotten. In fact, that celery keeping crisp in your fridge might be better considered as food for thought—literally.