In Chinese Traditional Medicine, celery is used as a cure for hypertension. It is now known that celery contains phytochemical compounds called phthalides, which not only give it its flavour but have also been shown to lower blood pressure. In lab tests, when animals were injected with 3-n-butylphthalide (3nB) extracts from celery, their blood pressure fell by 12-14%.

Studies in vitro and in animals have also shown that 3nB can lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the formation of the arterial plaques which can result in cardiovascular disease. In animal studies, 3nB has also been found to help prevent strokes and to enhance energy production in the brain, as well as to improve neurological function after simulation of a stroke.

Antioxidant celery compounds called coumarins are the focus of much current scientific research due to their potential as anti-cancer therapies. The celery seed oil extract sedanolide has, along with 3nB, been found to inhibit tumours in lab tests. Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C, which has anti-carcinogenic properties through its role as an antioxidant and is rich in folate a vitamin required to make DNA and to prevent pre-cancerous changes to it. In addition, celery is a good source of Manganese, which is important for normal central nervous system and reproduction functions; fibre, which keeps your colon healthy, preventing constipation, diverticulitis and cancer, and potassium which can also help to keep blood pressure low.

Q: Could the fish I’m eating be toxic?

A: Fish is a superb source of protein and is packed with essential omega fats and is a great source of calcium, selenium, vitamin D and E so I’m glad you are including it in your diet. Having said that, the fish you are eating may contain mercury – a heavy metal that can cause nerve damage in high doses due to pollution getting into the rivers and seas. However, levels of this heavy metal are not high enough to do you any harm in the quantities most people consume them.

Research does, however, show that swordfish and marlin contain the highest levels, due to their size, where they feed and the age they live (which concentrates the mercury). These fish are closely followed by tuna. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive the Food Standards Agency suggests limiting your intake of these fish or avoiding them altogether. It’s fine, however, to eat plenty of smaller fish like sardines, salmon, trout and mackerel which are low in these toxins and no threat to your health and wellbeing.

For years we’ve been told that eating grapefruit was a healthy choice for breakfast and for those who want to lose weight but a new study has suggested that eating grapefruit can increase the risk of breast cancer.

It is thought that the fruit boosts blood levels of oestrogen, the hormone associated with the risk of the disease. According to the research carried out by the universities of Southern California and Hawaii and based on more than 50,000 post menopausal women from five ethnic groups, including 1,657 with breast cancer and published in the British Journal of Cancer, eating as little as a quarter of grapefruit a day can raise the danger by 30 per cent for older women.

It’s important to bear in mind that many lifestyle factors contribute to breast cancer risk. Earlier this year it was revealed that just one alcoholic drink a day may increase your risk by 9 per cent. A major European study also recently showed that eating junk food raises a woman’s risk of developing a range of cancers. And older women with the fattiest diets have a 15 per cent increase in their chances of developing beast cancer according to a separate US study.

Also bear in mind that other studies have suggested that grapefruit has anti cancer properties and may play a role in weight management. It’s also high in fibre which is good for your digestive health and vitamin C which is good for boosting your immunity. The key, as with everything in life, is moderation. You could still have grapefruit once a week and have other choices for breakfast the rest of the week.