Know2eat

Celery seed

Apium graveolens

What celery seed has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About celery seed

The tiny bitter fruit of wild celery, used whole in pickling and ground into celery salt. It comes from the same species as the salad vegetable but is far more intensely flavoured. The USDA entry is per 100 g of seed, an amount no recipe approaches.

Also known as celery seed, celery fruit, ajmod

Heart HealthJoint Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Celery seed extract standardised to 3-n-butylphthalide has been tested for blood pressure in a handful of very small studies, some without a control group, with reductions reported over several weeks. The material tested is a concentrated extract taken as capsules, the studies are too small and too weakly designed to be relied on, and none of this describes seasoning food with celery seed.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Joint comfort

Joint Health
Insufficient evidence

Celery seed is widely marketed for gout and joint pain on the basis of traditional use and rodent studies of uric acid. Human trials are absent, so there is no basis for a rating.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Celery seed

Ask about Celery seed

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories392 kcal20%
Protein18.1 g36%
Total fat25.3 g32%
Carbohydrate41.4 g15%
Fibre11.8 g42%
Total sugars0.67 g—
Water6.04 g—
Fats
Saturated fat2.19 g11%
Monounsaturated fat15.9 g—
Polyunsaturated fat3.72 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)3.52 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A3 µg0%
Vitamin C17.1 mg19%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E1.07 mg7%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.34 mg28%
Riboflavin (B2)0.29 mg22%
Niacin (B3)3.06 mg19%
Vitamin B60.89 mg52%
Folate10 µg3%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline24.7 mg4%
Minerals
Calcium1767 mg136%
Iron44.9 mg249%
Magnesium440 mg105%
Phosphorus547 mg44%
Potassium1400 mg30%
Sodium160 mg7%
Zinc6.93 mg63%
Copper1.37 mg152%
Manganese7.57 mg329%
Selenium12.1 µg22%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene31 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash9.27 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spices, celery seed (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170920).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Celery is a major declarable allergen

    Celery must be declared on food labels across the European Union because reactions can be severe, and celery seed is among the more potent forms. Celery-mugwort-spice syndrome links it to birch and mugwort pollen allergy, and anaphylaxis, sometimes exercise-dependent, is well documented.

  • Worth knowing

    Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy

    Celery seed has a long traditional use as an emmenagogue and shows uterine stimulant activity in animal work. Concentrated seed extracts are conventionally avoided in pregnancy; the pinch used in a pickle jar is a different matter.

  • Worth knowing

    Furanocoumarins and sun sensitivity

    Celery contains psoralens, which sensitise skin to ultraviolet light. This mostly affects people handling large quantities, who can develop burn-like rashes on sun-exposed skin, but it is a real and repeatedly documented effect.

  • Interaction

    Celery salt is mostly salt

    Ground celery seed blended with salt is a common seasoning and contributes sodium accordingly. If sodium is being watched, the plain seed and celery salt are not interchangeable.