Carrots and celery: carotene against potassium, and a blood pressure claim from seeds

By a meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials in 511 adults, celery preparations lowered systolic blood pressure by a standardized mean difference of 1.0 (95% CI 0.14 to 1.85). Those preparations were mostly seed extracts above 1,000 mg a day, the trials were small and varied widely, and the result is in standardized units, which cannot be read as mmHg. We found no randomized trial of eating celery stalks on blood pressure. Seed extracts are supplement doses, and we found no card on their safety in pregnancy or alongside blood pressure medicines. On the plate the two vegetables do different jobs. Per 100 g raw, UK tables give carrots 34 calories and 11,764 micrograms of carotene, and celery 9 calories and 20 micrograms. Celery carries more potassium, 304 mg against 178 mg. For carrots the long-run evidence is observational. Across 50 prospective studies with 52,000 cancer cases, people who ate the most carrots had about 10 percent lower cancer risk (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.94). That is an association that overall diet may explain, and trials of beta-carotene supplements showed no benefit.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g raw, UK tables give carrots 34 calories and 11,764 micrograms of carotene against 9 calories and 20 micrograms for celery, while celery has more potassium, 304 mg against 178 mg. — CoFID records Carrots, old, raw and Celery, raw (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Carrots vs celery per 3.5 oz (100 g): energy 34 vs 9 calories, carotene 11764 vs 20 ug, total sugars 7.2 vs 1.4 g, fiber 3.9 vs 1.5 g, potassium 178 vs 304 mg, sodium 27 vs 77 mg
• Eight USDA samples of raw celery ranged from 170 to 395 mg of potassium and from 63 to 124 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), so one bunch can hold more than twice the potassium of another. — USDA Foundation Foods samples of Celery, raw (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Potassium 265.2 mg (range 170 to 395), sodium 97.21 mg (63 to 124), calcium 46.28 mg (28.6 to 83.6), water 95.2 g (93.48 to 96.06)

What a real portion looks like

• One medium raw carrot (60 g) gives about 457 micrograms of vitamin A as RAE, and one celery stalk (40 g) about 106 mg of potassium, by US survey portions. — FNDDS foods Carrots, raw (73101010) and Celery, raw (75109000) (n = 2 foods) Evidence E source
  Carrot: 762 ug RAE per 3.5 oz (100 g), 1 regular carrot 60 g = 457.2 ug, 1 cup 120 g = 914.4 ug; celery: potassium 265 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), 1 stalk 40 g = 106 mg, 1 cup 120 g = 318 mg

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT on 12 healthy adults, eating raw carrots with avocado raised beta-carotene absorption 6.6-fold compared with carrots alone. — 12 healthy men and women, raw carrots delivering 27.3 mg beta-carotene with or without avocado (23 g lipid) (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Beta-carotene absorption x6.6, alpha-carotene x4.8 (P < 0.0001); conversion to vitamin A x12.6
• In a crossover RCT on 16 adults, beta-carotene from papaya was about 3 times more bioavailable than the same amount from raw carrots. — 16 healthy participants, test meals of raw carrot, tomato or papaya matched for beta-carotene (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Beta-carotene bioavailability papaya about x3 vs carrots; carrots and tomatoes not different
• In a crossover study on 30 adults, carrots engineered to carry more calcium delivered 41% more absorbed calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g) than ordinary carrots. — 15 men and 15 women, isotope-labeled sCAX1 vs control carrots (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Total calcium absorbed per 3.5 oz (100 g) carrots +41% (SE 2%)

What cooking and storage change

• Boiling keeps about 94% of the carotene in carrots by UK tables, but boiled celery holds about 44% less potassium and sodium than raw per 3.5 oz (100 g), partly lost to the cooking water and partly diluted by the water it takes up. — CoFID records for raw and boiled (unsalted water) carrots and celery (n = 4 records) Evidence E source
  Carrots carotene 11764 raw vs 11097 ug boiled; celery potassium 304 vs 170 mg, sodium 77 vs 43 mg, fiber 1.5 vs 0.8 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• A case report describes anaphylaxis to raw carrot in a 12-year-old with birch pollen allergy, who still tolerated cooked carrot, consistent with the PR-10 allergen breaking down with heat. — one 12-year-old boy with birch pollen allergy (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Anaphylaxis after raw carrot; cooked carrot tolerated

What it does to your health

• Across 50 prospective studies with 52,000 cancer cases, people eating the most carrots had about 10% lower cancer risk, an association rather than proof. — 50 prospective studies, 52,000 cases, highest vs lowest carrot intake (n = 52000 cases) Evidence C source
  RR 0.90 (95% CI 0.87 to 0.94)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 16 celery-allergic patients confirmed by food challenge, the celeriac cultivar Anita caused fewer symptoms than Prinz, which carries more of the main allergen Api g 1. — 16 celery-allergic patients, oral challenge with two cultivars in 14 (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Skin test wheal 5.0 mm (Anita) vs 7.0 mm (Prinz), P = .047; fewer symptoms on oral challenge, P < .001

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU refused claims that celery helps the kidneys get rid of water or drains the body. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized
• The EU also refused a claim that celery tea restores the body, protects against aging and improves immunity. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a crossover RCT on 50 people with hypertension, 1.34 g a day of celery seed extract for 4 weeks lowered anxiety scores by 6.78 points. — 50 hypertensive patients on usual medication, 4 weeks per arm with 4-week washout (n = 50) Evidence B source
  Beck anxiety score -6.78, depression score -3.63; blood pressure also fell (size not in abstract)
• A USDA systematic review found moderate evidence that carrot flavor from a breastfeeding mother's diet reaches her milk and that infants respond to it days to months later. — lactating mothers and their infants Evidence C source
  Flavor transfer to breast milk for carrots among other flavors (grade moderate)

What is still unknown

• By a meta-analysis of 10 RCTs in 511 adults, celery preparations lowered systolic blood pressure (SMD -1.0), mostly from seed extracts above 1,000 mg a day, not from eating stalks. — adults in 10 RCTs of celery preparations, total 511 (n = 511) Evidence A source
  Systolic BP SMD -1.0 (95% CI -1.85 to -0.14), diastolic SMD -0.93 (-1.54 to -0.33), fasting glucose SMD -0.80, triglycerides SMD -1.18; no effect on LDL

The bottom line

One medium raw carrot of 2.1 oz (60 g) gives about 457 micrograms of vitamin A as RAE, and one 40 g celery stalk about 106 mg of potassium, both recalculated from 100 g. Celery varies a lot. Eight USDA samples ran from 170 to 395 mg of potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g), so one bunch can hold more than twice as much as another. Carrot carotene needs fat. In a crossover trial on 12 healthy adults, raw carrots eaten with avocado raised beta-carotene absorption 6.6-fold against carrots alone, in single meals likely funded by the avocado industry. In 16 adults, papaya gave about three times more usable beta-carotene than the same amount from raw carrots. Boiling carrots keeps most of the carotene, 11,097 against 11,764 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) in UK tables. Boiled celery holds about 44 percent less potassium and sodium than raw, 170 against 304 mg of potassium, partly because they move into the water and partly because boiled celery holds more water. Those are separate samples per 3.5 oz (100 g) as eaten. The EU refused claims that celery helps the kidneys shed water or drains the body, and another that celery tea restores the body and improves immunity. The anxiety result some sites quote comes from 1.34 g a day of celery seed extract capsules in 50 people with hypertension, a 4-week trial in one Iranian center. Who should be careful. Celery allergy is real and cultivar does not make it safe. In 16 patients with challenge-confirmed celery allergy, the celeriac Anita caused fewer symptoms than Prinz, which carries more of the main allergen. One 12-year-old with birch pollen allergy had anaphylaxis after raw carrot and still tolerated cooked carrot, a single case, and most pollen-linked carrot reactions stay mild and in the mouth. A USDA review found moderate evidence that carrot flavor from a breastfeeding mother reaches her milk. We found no card on drug interactions or kidney disease for either vegetable.

Sources

1. cce-r2-01 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   CoFID 13-496 Carrots, old, raw: Energy 34 kcal; Carotene 11764 ug; Total sugars 7.2 g; AOAC fibre 3.9 g; Potassium 178 mg; Sodium 27 mg. CoFID 13-636 Celery, raw: Energy 9 kcal; Carotene 20 ug; Total sugars 1.4 g; AOAC fibre 1.5 g; Potassium 304 mg; Sodium 77 mg
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, OGL v3.0, codes 13-496, 13-497, 13-636, 13-637 · checked 2026-09-29
2. cce-r2-02 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Celery, raw (Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Potassium, K 265.2 MG range 170.0-395.0, 8 samples; Sodium, Na 97.21 MG range 63.0-124.0, 8 samples; Calcium, Ca 46.28 MG range 28.6-83.6; Water 95.2 G range 93.48-96.06
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Celery, raw · checked 2026-09-29
3. cce-r2-04 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   FNDDS 73101010 Carrots, raw (fdc_id 2709660): Vitamin A, RAE 762 UG per 100 g; 1 regular carrot 60 g = 457.2 UG; 1 cup 120 g = 914.4 UG. FNDDS 75109000 Celery, raw (fdc_id 2709778): Potassium, K 265 MG per 100 g; 1 stalk 40 g = 106.0 MG; 1 cup 120 g = 318.0 MG
   USDA FNDDS, fdc_id 2709660 and 2709778 · checked 2026-09-29
4. cce-r2-05 · RCT
   In study 2, the absorption of β-carotene and α-carotene increased by 6.6- and 4.8-fold, respectively (P < 0.0001 for both).
   J Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
5. cce-r2-06 · RCT
   The bioavailability of β-carotene from papayas was approximately three times higher than that from carrots and tomatoes, whereas differences in the bioavailability of β-carotene from carrots and tomatoes were insignificant.
   Br J Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
6. cce-r2-07 · RCT
   In a cross-over study of 15 male and 15 female adults, we found that when people were fed sCAX1 and control carrots, total calcium absorption per 100 g of carrots was 41% +/- 2% higher in sCAX1 carrots.
   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
7. cce-r2-03 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   CoFID 13-496 Carrots, old, raw: Carotene 11764 ug; CoFID 13-497 Carrots, old, boiled in unsalted water: Carotene 11097 ug; CoFID 13-636 Celery, raw: Potassium 304 mg, Sodium 77 mg; CoFID 13-637 Celery, boiled in unsalted water: Potassium 170 mg, Sodium 43 mg
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, OGL v3.0, codes 13-496, 13-497, 13-636, 13-637 · checked 2026-09-29
8. cce-r2-12 · case report
   The reaction occurred during birch pollen season, and the patient tolerated cooked carrot, consistent with PR-10's thermal instability.
   Pediatr Allergy Immunol Pulmonol, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. cce-r2-08 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   Of 198 observational studies, in 50 prospective studies with 52000 cases recording carrot intake, the cancer-risk was substantially reduced (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87-0.94, p ˂ 0·00004).
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
10. cce-r2-11 · RCT
    Moreover, "Anita" induced fewer symptoms after a controlled oral-celeriac challenge in 14 patient (P < .001).
    Clin Exp Allergy, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
11. cce-r2-13 · EU claims register
    POL-HC-6622 Apium graveolens - common name : celery Used to enhance the renal elimination of water / "Used to facilitate the elimination functions of the organism" / "Used for the drainage of the organism" / "Stimulates the elimination function of the organism" / "Contributes to the functionary of the urinary tract" Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6622, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
12. cce-r2-14 · EU claims register
    POL-HC-6621 Apium graveolens (Celery) A generally restorative tea which is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential herbal oils and helps the body overcome stress and exertion, prevents setting in of changes associated with age, improves the immunity Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6621, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. cce-r2-10 · RCT
    In the celery treatment step, the mean reduction in BAI and BDI scores were 6.78 (P < 0.001) and 3.63 (P < 0.01), respectively.
    Inflammopharmacology, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
14. cce-r2-15 · USDA NESR systematic review
    Evidence indicates flavor transfer to human breast milk occurs after lactating mothers ingest alcohol, anise, caraway, carrots, eucalyptus, garlic, and mint flavors.
    USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review, Influence of Maternal Diet on Flavor Transfer to Amniotic Fluid and Breast Milk, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
15. cce-r2-09 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Our meta-analysis included ten randomized controlled studies with a total of 511 participants. The results demonstrated significant therapeutic effects of celery on systolic blood pressure (SMD: -1.0; 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.14), diastolic blood pressure (SMD: -0.93; 95% CI: -1.54 to -0.33)
    Front Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29