Two digestive issues that cause pain and discomfort are constipation and bloating. These two conditions are often interlinked and as such, it has a one-stop solution that can help you. Dr Megan Rossi, constipation and bloating expert, recommends celery juice to relieve symptoms. The gut health specialist spoke to Express.co.uk and elaborated on the benefits of the vegetable.
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Celery juice is made by just blending the vegetable with water. Celery is rich in Vitamin A, C and K, along with being a good source of calcium, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of celery (about 500g)
- 1 green apple (about 120g), peeled, quartered and cored
- ½-1 lemon, juiced
- 20g ginger, finely grated
All the fibre you need
One of the main reasons celery is a great choice to deal with constipation and bloating is because it is rich in fibre. Celery has four grammes of fibre per eight ounces. The fibre in celery and the water in it helps soothe the bloating and constipation. Celery has also been shown to help with inflammation and blood pressure reduction in various studies.
Fibre is necessary for a healthy gut, yet most Britons do not consume enough of it regularly. It provides weight to your stool and softens them, making them easier to pass. Celery juice has a lot of water, which helps with bloating and digestion. Stools will stay hydrated and soft if you drink enough water. Dry, firm stools are substantially harder to pass. Celery may also increase stomach acid production, which can aid with bloating problems.
Not the ultimate solution
While celery has many benefits, it may not be the ultimate solution to deal with bloating. Too much celery can, in fact, upset the stomach. Celery juice is also high in FODMAPs. So it may cause more difficulties than it solves for people with IBS or who are on a low-FODMAP diet for other reasons. Dr Rossi claims that celery juice can only help people in general, she said:
There is not really such a thing as anti-bloating foods.
Instead, she offered a few helpful tips for preventing bloating. For instance, one can have smaller meals and spread various meals throughout the day instead of just gulping down food in huge quantities at once. Further, she advised,
Chewing your food as well, those sorts of strategies, anything that means that you are less likely to absorb the gas.
