I knew there had to be a reason beyond the blond hair and the brawny shoulders and the English Gallifreyan accent that I like Peter Davison’s Doctor so much (via Asylum):
Celery Makes You More Attractive to Women
According to Judy Gaman, Dr. Walter Gaman and Dr. Mark Anderson, authors of the new book “Stay Young: Ten Proven Steps to Ultimate Health,” eating celery actually increases the pheromone levels in men’s sweat, making them more attractive to women.
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Well, androstenone is a steroid that is found in human sweat. It gives off a scent, or sex pheromone, that makes men more attractive. Because the cytoplasm of celery contains androstenone, eating it can actually increase the human levels of the steroid and the pheromone-secretion level.
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For an added bonus, if you get the girl, celery also increases sex drive and ups the amount of ejaculatory fluids making climax stronger.
Oh my…
and it’s a good source of fibre.
From Wikipedia:
On his lapel, this Doctor wore a celery stalk. He claimed in The Caves of Androzani that the celery would sometimes turn purple in the presence of certain gases in the “Praxis” range to which he was allergic, although this allergy was not mentioned by any incarnations before or since. He said that if that happened, he would then eat the celery (explaining, “If nothing else, I’m sure it’s good for my teeth”). In the same story, while attempting to revive a feverish Peri from Spectrox Toxemia, he had noted that celery was an “excellent restorative from where I come from”, but that the human olfactory system was “comparatively feeble.” The Tenth Doctor repeatedly poked fun at the celery in Time Crash, describing it as a “decorative vegetable”.
I realize I’m making myself out to be “That Guy™” by posting this quote. Forgive me MaryAnn.
My father has several late-19th century apothecary’s manuals. One of them included a table of the medicinal properties of plants. Celery was recommended “for hysteria in women” which seemed perfectly reasonable for a Doctor…
The Doctor also notes, in “Castrovalva” (where he acquires his first piece of lapel celery) that the presence of the veggie there is a sign of civilization.
It doesn’t matter if other Doctors haven’t mentioned the allergy, Corey, as the Doctor is different each time he regenerates. It’s like how some Doctors are short sighted, and others aren’t. Well, this Doctor had an allergy that other’s don’t.
Or he just didn’t want to tell Peri what the celery was really for…
Well, I smell more fan fic.
And I have a very sensitive sense of smell for a human.
I do love that line from Moffat’s “Time Crash” where Ten observes: “Brave choice celery, but fair play to you – not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable.”