Celery does have folate, and it’s actually one of the many nutrients that make this crunchy vegetable worth adding to your meals.
A single cup of raw chopped celery gives you around 34 micrograms of folate, which is about 8-9% of the daily recommended intake for most adults.
That might not sound like a huge amount, but it adds up quickly when you’re munching on celery sticks or tossing chopped celery into soups and salads.
If you’ve ever wondered does celery have folate or if celery is a good source of folate, the short answer is yes, it does contain this important B vitamin.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how much folate celery has, why folate matters for your body, and how you can get more of it from celery and other foods.
Let’s explore the folate in celery and why it’s a solid addition to your diet.
Why Celery Has Folate and Why It Matters
Celery has folate because it’s a leafy green vegetable, and leafy greens are naturally rich in this water-soluble B vitamin.
Folate plays a big role in your body, and getting it from foods like celery is one of the easiest ways to meet your needs.
1. Folate Supports Cell Division and DNA
Folate is essential for making DNA and RNA, and it helps your cells divide properly.
Without enough folate, your body can’t produce new cells efficiently, which is especially important during pregnancy and periods of rapid growth.
That’s why celery and other folate-rich foods are often recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
2. Folate Helps Prevent Anemia
Folate works alongside vitamin B12 to help your body produce healthy red blood cells.
A lack of folate can lead to a type of anemia that makes you feel tired, weak, and short of breath.
Eating celery regularly can contribute to your daily folate intake, which helps keep your blood healthy and your energy levels up.
3. Folate May Support Heart Health
Folate helps break down homocysteine, an amino acid that can damage blood vessels when levels get too high.
By keeping homocysteine in check, the folate in celery may help lower your risk of heart disease over time.
It’s not a magic bullet, but every bit of folate you get from celery and other whole foods counts toward better cardiovascular health.
How Much Folate Is in Celery?
Celery has folate in modest amounts, but it’s still a useful source of this nutrient.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how much folate you get from celery in different forms and serving sizes.
1. Raw Celery Sticks
One cup of raw chopped celery contains about 34 micrograms of folate.
If you snack on a few celery sticks with hummus or peanut butter, you’re getting a small but meaningful boost of folate.
It’s not going to meet your entire daily requirement on its own, but it’s a healthy way to add folate to your day.
2. Celery Juice
Celery juice has folate too, though the amount depends on how much celery you use and how it’s prepared.
A cup of fresh celery juice might give you a similar amount of folate as a cup of raw celery, but juicing can remove some of the fiber.
That’s why eating whole celery is generally a better choice for getting both folate and fiber in one go.
3. Cooked Celery
Cooking celery can reduce its folate content slightly because folate is sensitive to heat.
Lightly steaming or stir-frying celery helps preserve more of its folate than boiling it for a long time.
So if you want to keep the folate in your celery, cook it quickly and avoid overcooking.
How Celery Fits Into a Folate-Rich Diet
Celery has folate, but it shouldn’t be your only source of this vitamin.
Folate is found in many other foods, and combining celery with these options helps you meet your daily needs more easily.
1. Pair Celery With Leafy Greens
Spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce are all higher in folate than celery.
Adding chopped celery to a salad with these greens gives you a folate-packed meal that’s also full of fiber and antioxidants.
2. Add Celery to Legume-Based Dishes
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent sources of folate.
Tossing celery into soups, stews, or chili with these legumes boosts the folate content of your meal while adding flavor and crunch.
3. Combine Celery With Citrus Fruits
Oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits also contain folate.
A salad with celery, orange segments, and a light vinaigrette is a refreshing way to get more folate from your food.
4. Don’t Forget Fortified Foods
Many breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas are fortified with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate.
While celery has natural folate, fortified foods can help fill in the gaps if you’re not getting enough from vegetables alone.
So, Does Celery Have Folate?
Celery does have folate, and it’s a healthy, low-calorie way to add this important B vitamin to your diet.
A cup of raw celery gives you around 34 micrograms of folate, which is a small but useful contribution to your daily intake.
Folate in celery supports cell division, helps prevent anemia, and may even support heart health.
While celery shouldn’t be your only source of folate, it’s a great addition to a diet rich in leafy greens, legumes, and citrus fruits.
So the next time you’re crunching on celery sticks or adding celery to your soup, know that you’re getting a little folate boost with every bite.