The claim that drinking 16 ounces of celery juice every morning to cure psoriasis, eczema, high blood pressure and a host of other chronic health issues sounds great, considering the price of celery at your local grocery store compared with the cost of prescription drugs.
Throngs have joined the celery juice movement, making it one of today’s hottest health fads. Developed by self-titled “Medical Medium” Anthony William, the celery juice diet is founded on the idea that the drink can improve almost every function of the body because it is a “miraculous healing remedy” that starves harmful pathogens, according to William’s website. (Nowhere on his site does it list any medical education or training.)
William first developed the remedy, which requires you to drink the juice on an empty stomach every morning, after communicating with a paranormal entity he calls the “Spirit.” He claims that this out-of-world being not only helped him diagnose his grandmother with lung cancer at the age of 4, but also handed down this secret recipe for good health.
Since then, William has made millions on a handful of bestselling books and has traveled the world, spreading the gospel of celery juice. Recently reality star Kim Kardashian shed some light on the fad, announcing in a January Instagram story that she was trying it out in hopes of helping her psoriasis.
Does the medical community back the claim that juicing celery can help clear your psoriasis and alleviate joint pain from psoriatic arthritis? Simply put, no.
“There’s not a whole lot of medical evidence for what is being said about celery juice,” says Abby Van Voorhees, M.D., NPF Medical Board Chair. She says that there is no data to back up William’s claims that the intake of celery juice can be used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
“It won’t hurt anybody to drink celery juice. I just don’t know if it’s going to make anything better,” says Van Voorhees. “People have wondered for years about what really triggers psoriasis. There are cases where infections do trigger psoriasis. But on a medical perspective, celery does not improve the infections in the body that could be the triggers for these flares.”
(Learn how to best manage your flares by requesting our free flare guide.)
However, Van Voorhees doesn’t rule out the role diet has on psoriatic disease, whether that is upping your intake of vegetables or cutting out junk food. She says that anything that can get you closer to your ideal body weight can have a positive effect on the severity of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. And, while there is no conclusive evidence yet, Van Voorhees says that gluten-free diets do show some promise in helping some with their psoriatic disease.
Another consideration: While you can pack in a lot more servings of vegetables and fruit through juicing, that diet craze destroys dietary fiber in the process – a nutrient necessary for maintaining a healthy digestive tract. So, it might be wise (and will take less effort) to just eat that celery raw.
If you are thinking about joining the celery juice movement, or any other home remedy, consult a medical professional about how it may affect your disease or treatment. And, if you aren’t currently treating your disease, make an appointment with your health care provider as soon as possible.
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