Limited evidenceHeart & metabolic

Celery Seed Extract

A standardized celery seed extract lowered blood pressure substantially in a small crossover trial, but essentially all the human data come from one research team. Promising, not established - and the gout and arthritis claims have no trial support at all.

What the science says

Lowered blood pressure in hypertensive patients Limited evidence
In 52 hypertensive patients taking 1.34 g/day celery seed extract for 4 weeks in a triple-blind crossover trial with 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, systolic pressure fell from 141.2 to 130.0 mmHg and diastolic from 92.2 to 84.2 mmHg, with no significant change on placebo. An 11 mmHg systolic drop rivals a first-line antihypertensive drug, which is itself a reason to withhold judgment until independent groups replicate it.
Improved anxiety and depression scores Limited evidence
The same group ran a 4-week crossover trial in 50 hypertensive patients at the same 1.34 g/day dose: Beck Anxiety Inventory scores fell by 6.78 points and Beck Depression Inventory scores by 3.63 points versus placebo. Blood pressure also fell in the same patients, so mood improvement may be partly secondary, and this is a single exploratory finding.
Gout, uric acid and joint pain Limited evidence
Celery seed is widely sold for gout and arthritis on the strength of in vitro and animal work on apigenin and 3-n-butylphthalide. No adequate human trials test celery seed extract for uric acid, gout flares or joint pain.

Dosage & safety

Studied dose1.34 g/day of a standardized seed extract (four capsules daily) in both published hypertension trials. Many commercial products instead supply 75-150 mg of a concentrated extract standardized to 3-n-butylphthalide - a dose with no direct outcome data behind it.

SafetyCelery is a recognized allergen (it is a mandatory labeled allergen in the EU) and can trigger anaphylaxis in sensitized people, including via birch-mugwort-celery cross-reactivity. Furocoumarins in celery can cause photosensitivity. The extract may add to antihypertensive and diuretic medications, so monitor blood pressure if combining. Avoid in pregnancy given traditional uterine-stimulant use and no safety data, and in active kidney inflammation.

Scientific references

Effect of celery (Apium graveolens) seed extract on hypertension: A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, clinical trial
Shayani Rad M, Moohebati M, Mohajeri SA — Phytother Res, 2022
Beneficial effects of celery seed extract (Apium graveolens), as a supplement, on anxiety and depression in hypertensive patients: a randomized clinical trial
Shayani Rad M, Moohebati M, Mohajeri SA — Inflammopharmacology, 2023

Where to buy

NOW Foods, Celery Seed Extract, 60 Veg Capsules

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