LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — (KTHV) – A new juicing trend is taking over social media with thousands on posts on Instagram and YouTube over the past few months.
It may not sound like the most delicious thing to drink, but celery juice is the latest health trend to try. The juicing was started by Instagrammer “MedicalMedium.” He claims it helps with digestion, fighting against cancer and relieves stress.
“Every morning you’re supposed to drink it on an empty stomach, that is when it is most beneficial,” one YouTuber said.
The juice trend has since gained over 80,000 posts on Instagram. You simply put celery through a juicer until you have a full glass. But is this something that is actually good for you?
"If It's a way for people to get their fruits and vegetables, that's fine,” registered dietitian David Rath said.
Rath said celery has plenty of benefits.
"It has a lot of antioxidants and some studies show it can really help lower your risk for cancer,” he said.
But he said the problem is you lose a lot of nutrients when you juice the celery.
"There are some antioxidants in there, but you lose all the fiber. That's really important because the microbiome which we're hearing so much about, that affects our disease risk and fiber helps that,” Rath said.
Rath said the same goes for any other vegetable or fruit, like an apple or a carrot. It's really best to eat the whole thing.
"There's a lot of these phytonutrients or plant nutrients that you just don't get when you're juicing,” he said.
But Rath said the celery juice is not all that bad. It can actually be beneficial for some.
"If somebody has a condition where they need to have less fiber, IBS, that's a good way to get your fruit or vegetables,” he said.
Rath said putting it through a blender is your best bet if you want to break it down – that way you still get most of the nutrients. He also said to make sure you are drinking it in moderation, just like anything else.