This Celery Page is from the Cretan Bowl Diet website that offers weight loss tips and slimming diet tips to help you lose weight easily and without hunger pangs.

Celery always adds crunch and plenty of flavour to salads. And in cooked dishes its distinctive flavour enhances other vegetables and meats.

Celery is an excellent source of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is an important vitamin in that it plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Celery also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B9 and Vitamin K.

Vitamin A assists with cell reproduction. It also stimulates immunity and is needed for formation of some hormones. Vitamin A helps vision and supports bone growth, tooth development, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes.

Deficiency of Vitamin A can cause night blindness, dry skin, poor bone growth, and weak tooth enamel.

Vitamin B9 has forms named Folate and Folic Acid. Folate occurs naturally in fresh foods, whereas Folic Acid is the synthetic form found in supplements. The body needs Folate to produce red blood cells, as well as components of the nervous system. It helps maintaining normal brain function, and is a critical part of spinal fluid. Folic Acid is vital for proper cell growth and development of the embryo, so it is important for women to have enough Folate/Folic Acid in their bodies both before and during pregnancy.

Vitamin K is fat-soluble and plays a major role in blood clotting. It regulates blood calcium levels and activates proteins involved in bone health.

Celery also contain Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium and Sodium.

Calcium helps with sleep and eases insomnia and helps regulate the passage of nutrients through cell walls. Calcium is necessary for muscles contracting properly, blood-clotting functions and for nerves carry messages.

Insufficient calcium from foods mean the body automatically takes the calcium needed from bones. Deficiency may result in muscle spasms and cramps in the short term and osteoporosis longer term.

Manganese functions in enzyme reactions concerning blood sugar, metabolism, and thyroid hormone function.

Phosphorus, in conjunction with calcium, is necessary for the formation of bones and teeth and of the nerve cells.

Phosphorus is second to calcium in abundance in the body.

Potassium is an essential mineral for the growth and maintenance of the body. It is needed to maintain a normal water balance between the cells and body fluids.

Potassium also plays an essential role in proper heart function.

Deficiency may cause muscular cramps, twitching and weakness, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, kidney and lung failure.

Selenium is a part of several enzymes necessary for proper body function. In general, selenium chief function is as an antioxidant working in conjunction with vitamin E.

Sodium is necessary for regulating blood pressure and blood volume. It helps regulate the fluid balance of the body. Sodium also helps in the proper functioning of muscles and nerves. Many people get far more sodium than they need, which tends to cause health problems.

If you want to know more about the wonderful Greek island of Crete, home of the Cretan Diet and the Cretan Bowl Diet then visit my sister site of Completely Crete .Com

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