Celery is a member of the Umbelliferous family along with carrots, parsley, and fennel. The modern celery originated from wild celery native to the Mediterranean where its seeds were once highly valued as a medicine. Like many other folk medicines,modern research is upholding the medicinal value of this common plant. In particular, scientists are evaluating a compound known as 3-n-butylphthalide or 3nB for short – the most powerful healing factor found in celery.

What is 3nB?

3nB is a compound unique to celery and is responsible for its characteristic flavour and odour. Research into the medicinal effects of celery led to the discovery of 3nB – an active component of celery with potential to lower blood pressure and offer relief of arthritis symptoms. 3nB first drew significant scientific attention when researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center identified it as the factor responsible for lowering blood pressure (Le, et al). The research was prompted by one researcher's father, who, after eating a quarter-pound of celery every day for one week, observed that his blood pressure dropped from 158 over 96 to a normal reading of 118 over 82. Subsequent studies on animals showed that a small amount of 3nB lowered blood pressure by 12%–14%, as well as lowered cholesterol levels by about 7%.

How Does 3nB Lower Blood Pressure

3nB’s ability to lower blood pressure appears to be a result of several factors. Blood pressure refers to the force with which blood flows through the vessels. Retention of excess fluids and poor flexibility of blood vessels can cause higher blood pressure.Some causes are sodium (salt) retention and/or inadequate potassium, leading to increased fluid volume in the blood.Hardening of the arteries and hormones released during stress can also lead to the loss of flexibility or constriction of blood flow. An illustration of this concept can be seen with a garden hose. If one were to put their thumb over the garden hose, thepressure against your thumb and the resulting water pressure outof the hose can be minimized by either turning down the faucet(reducing the fluid volume) or by letting more water flow out theend of the hose (dilating the vessel). In treating high bloodpressure, doctors usually prescribe diuretics (water pills) to reducethe fluid volume, and vasodilators to relax the arteries. Thisreduces the resistance of blood flow or beta-blockers by turningdown the pumping action of the heart. 3nB appears to helplower blood pressure by both acting as a diuretic and vasodilatorthrough impacting the production of prostaglandins. It acts in asimilar manner as calcium-channel blockers (Tsi, et al): drugs thatinhibit the flow of calcium ions across the membranes of smoothmuscle cells. By reducing calcium flow, muscle tone is relaxedand the risk of artery muscle spasms is diminished. Note: They Do not block bone resorption of calcium. 3nB has also been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the formation of arterial plaque in experimental studies (animal and test tube studies) (Le, et al, Mimura, et al). This may increase the elasticity of the blood vessels and also lead to lower blood pressure readings. In addition, 3nB appears to affect areas and systems of the brain that control vascular resistance.

The benefit of using celery seed extract to lower blood pressure is its apparent safety and unusual mechanism of acting as a diuretic. Most other diuretics have the dangerous side effect of changing the ratio of sodium to potassium in the blood resulting in too much of one over the other. In contrast, celery seed extract acts as a diuretic but without altering the ratio of sodium to potassium in the blood.

Although research on celery and celery seed extract’s blood pressure lowering effect is still quite preliminary, it is certainly worth the effort as some people have noted significant reductions.What research will probably show is that some people with high blood pressure will respond to celery extract while others will not. This occurrence is not unusual. Physicians treating high blood pressure will admit a similar phenomenon with the use of conventional drugs.

Another real advantage to using celery seed extract is that it does not lower blood flow to the brain like other conventional high blood pressure drugs do. While lowering blood flow can be helpful at reducing the likelihood of stroke, it often leaves people taking these drugs feeling tired, depressed, dizzy and forgetful.Celery seed extract on the other hand has actually been shown to not only help prevent strokes in studies done on animals, but also improve blood flow, protect the brain, and enhance energy production in a similar manner to ginkgo biloba extract (Yu, et al,Chong, et al, Chong, et al, Yan, et al). It has produced dramatic recovery for animals in neurological and brain function studies that simulate a stroke (Chong, et al, Chong, et al, Yan, et al, Lin,et al, Liu, et al). It has also been shown to significantly increase lifespan in animal studies (Zhang, et al).

Each Capsule contains: Celery|75mg (Standardized to 85% 3-n-butylphthalide calculated as total phthalides) Non-Medicinal Ingredients Rice starch, vegetarian capsule (carbohydrate gum [cellulose], purified water), vegetable grade magnesium stearate (lubricant).

Take 4 Capsule 3 times per day or as directed by a health care professional. For occasional use only.