Conflicting dietary information surrounds the nutritional value of celery. Certain individuals believe that celery is a negative-calorie food. Since, it requires more energy to digest the light green vegetable, people contend that celery consumed in ample supply can help dieters lose weight. Alternatively, others counter celery's ability to burn calories. Regardless of what people believe about celery and its nutritional worth, a number of facts and data prove the stalk-like vegetable to offer a number of health benefits:

• A flavorful, crunchy veggie, celery contains a miniscule amount of calories and carbohydrates.

• Substituting celery, for other foods high in calories and carbohydrates, can reduce one's daily caloric intake coupled with improving the nutrition.

• There are a whopping 13 calories, one gram of fiber and three grams of carbohydrates in two average-sized ribs of celery.

• Approximately, nine percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is contained in 2 stalks of celery.

B-6 (3 percent)
Calcium (3 percent)
Folacin (6 percent)
Iron (2 percent)
Potassium (7 percent)
Riboflavin (1 percent)
Niacin (1 percent)
Vitamin A (1 percent)
Vitamin K (35 percent)
Thiamin (1 percent)
Zinc (1 percent)

• Two ribs of celery are equivalent to the caloric value of one-fifth of an orange and an eighth of an apple.

• In ancient medicine, celery was used to detoxify the body or free the body of toxins. Scientists theorize that celery can act as a moderate diuretic effect.

• Pthalides are substances found in celery. In laboratory experiments, extracts were taken from celery and tested on rats. The findings showed celery to relax muscles in the arteries, suggesting that celery may potentially reduce cholesterol and fend off various types of cancer.