'Quick acting' is the meaning of the word Celeri, the Latin origin of the name Celery. Celery is a renowned herb known to the Chinese as early as the 5th century and was used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine earlier than that.
How Does Celery Help Gout?
Celery seed has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of health issues: poor digestion, influenza, water retention, high blood pressure, insomnia, arthritis, rheumatism, cold, flu, bronchitis, hepatitis, stone formation in the gall bladder or kidneys, asthma, arthritis, dizziness and other ailments related to the spleen and liver, and gout.
One of the ways celery helps with gout is that it is a diuretic, which means it promotes the excretion of urine. In this way it helps remove uric acid from the body, the cause of gout attacks.
The other piece of the puzzle is the unique-to-celery compound 3-n-Butylpthalide, or 3nB. 3nB has been identified as the element that provides celery's beneficial effects like lowering blood pressure and especially reducing uric acid. 3nB may inhibit xanthine oxidase; which is an enzyme involved in the production of uric acid in the liver. Celery also contains the flavonoids luteolin and apigenin. At least two studies have found that luteolin has anti-inflammatory properties. Apigenin may also have anti-pain, anti-inflammatory and anti uric acid properties. Apigenin has also inhibited xanthine oxidase in test tube studies.
Celery's effect seems to be to first reduce uric acid production, and then to remove it through its diuretic properties. Also, celery's 3nB may help in relaxing arteries, which together with its diuretic function, means it can reduce blood pressure. Reduced blood pressure is good for everyone but especially gout sufferers as high blood pressure leads to more frequent attacks.