The Benefits of Quercetin
If you’ve been looking for another reason to eat more berries or have that extra glass of red wine, let me tell you this:
Go ahead and indulge!
These food products and more contain a nutrient that can add years to your life and make your free radicals a thing of the past.
“What’s in berries and wine?” you ask? The content is a healthy micronutrient known as quercetin.
Quercetin is a nutrient that has been the subject of much research. Recently, it has been found that this flavinoid can do all sorts of things from reducing inflammation to improving heart health.
More research is surfacing showing other benefits of quercetin. If heart health and low oxidative stress aren’t enough to sway you to the quercetin camp, perhaps the newly-discovered health benefits will.
So, sit back with a glass of red wine, and read on to learn the health benefits of quercetin!
Overview of Quercetin
Quercetin is a type of pigment. In other words, it is a substance that gives color to plants. More specifically, quercetin is ubiquitous in fruits like grapes, blueberries, and some forms of wheat.
According to Web MD, quercetin can also be seen in apples and, to an extent, pears and apricots. Additionally, it’s present in large amounts in green tea and onions.
Cruciferous vegetables like kale, spinach, and broccoli also contain quercetin. In short, quercetin is present in many types of foods — most of which are accessible to the average person.
As a polyphenol, quercetin has been linked to many health benefits. For this reason, quercetin has been isolated by many companies for making supplements to address quercetin deficiencies.
How Does Quercetin Work?
As with many other types of polyphenols and flavonoids, quercetin is thought to have antioxidative properties.
Antioxidative properties in certain substances like quercetin can prevent the oxidation of cells. Oxidation occurs when a cell or tissue uses oxygen for metabolism.
This might sound like a good thing. However, when oxidation occurs, the by-product of the process is free radicals.
Free radicals are the products of cellular metabolism. When there is a high circulating amount of free radicals, oxidative stress occurs. You can think of oxidative stress as the process by which cells become stressed and age.
The result of oxidative stress can be:
- Inflammation
- Accelerated aging
- Worst-case scenario: chronic illnesses like cancer
- Joint issues
- Allergies and autoimmune conditions
- Degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Quercetin works by inhibiting the oxidative process during cellular metabolism. As a result, the problems associated with free radicals and oxidative stress can be prevented or even eliminated if already present.
What Foods Contain Quercetin?
Quercetin is a polyphenol, meaning that you can find high amounts of it in berries like grapes, strawberries, and blueberries. However, this flavonoid also naturally occurs in:
- Coffee
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Lettuce
- Green tea
- Tomatoes
- Apples
- Onions
- Shallots
Other than the foods mentioned above, I’ve found numerous quercetin supplements available on the market. Usually, these supplements are in tablet or capsule form of varying dosages.
For the most part, it’s impossible to overdose on quercetin. To date, little to no side effects have been documented from ingesting quercetin.
Dosing can vary depending on a person’s needs and condition. Several studies have agreed that 500 mg to 1,000 mg is the safe range for most people.
The Health Benefits of Quercetin
According to several sources, the antioxidant effects of quercetin contribute to the health benefits it provides. In detail, here are the health benefits of ingesting or supplementing with quercetin:
1. Reduced Flaring Up of Allergies
Allergies can occur as a result of free radical circulation. Free radicals can aggravate already sensitive white blood cells, leading to allergies and autoimmune conditions.
Quercetin has been studied for its anti-allergenic effect. One study suggests that it has effects that mimic those of antihistamine or anti-allergy medications.
Quercetin seems to treat most allergies. However, it’s particularly effective for allergic reactions involving the upper respiratory tract. These conditions include:
- Allergic rhinitis
- Bronchial asthma
2. Decreased Inflammation
Inflammation anywhere in the body is a sign of an immune response. Immune responses are the body’s way of fighting foreign substances and pathogens like viruses and bacteria.
Acute or short-term, inflammation is a sign of a healthy immune system. However, when inflammation is chronic or lasts longer than six months, it leads to problems.
Some of the problems associated with chronic inflammation are intestinal issues like Celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Chronic inflammation also causes perceivable symptoms like frequent pains and brain fog.
Decreasing inflammation can be done by eliminating certain foods or adding anti-inflammatory foods to the diet. Quercetin is an example of a substance in food that reduces inflammation.
Several studies have confirmed that it can alleviate inflammation in areas like the joints.
3. Infection Prevention
Quercetin is famous for its antioxidant properties, as well as its anti-inflammatory properties. Recently, quercetin has become the subject of numerous studies seeking to discover and confirm its antimicrobial capabilities.
According to Medical News Today, quercetin is effective for bacteria that infects the following parts of the body:
- Intestines
- Stomach
- Lungs
- Bladder
- Kidneys
Other than being antimicrobial, quercetin is also potent as an antiviral, proving effective against:
- Herpes simplex
- Adenovirus
4. Improved Joint Health
An example of a chronic inflammatory condition is arthritis. Arthritis is characterized by inflammation at the joints, particularly in the hands and feet. In many cases, arthritis also affects the knees, causing problems with movement and weight-bearing amongst the elderly.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, quercetin can slow down the progression of arthritis. One study even suggests that quercetin supplementation maintained the joint health of competitive athletes.
5. Reduced Cancer Risk
Cancer risk reduction is one of the most touted benefits of quercetin. The anti-cancer effects of quercetin are well-documented.
For instance, a 2015 research study pointed to quercetin’s effectiveness against prostate cancer. The findings of the 2015 study were confirmed in an in vitro research study done three years thereafter.
While it isn’t clear how quercetin retards cancer growth, many experts theorize that it has something to do with quercetin’s effect on free radicals.
Free radicals are circulating metals that are products of cellular metabolism. In high amounts, these metals can cause inflammation and contribute to tumor growth in soft tissues.
Quercetin can reduce the amount of circulating free radicals. As a result, it’s possible that quercetin contributes to the retardation of cancerous growths as well.
6. Hinders the Progression of Chronic Degenerative Brain Disorders
You may have heard anecdotal accounts of grape-based alcoholic beverages like red wine and brandy stopping Alzheimer’s disease dead in its tracks. There’s actually truth to these accounts backed by science. And, it all has to do with the quercetin content in grapes even after distillation.
Quercetin’s anti-inflammatory properties can benefit the white and gray matter in the brain. The protection of these two types of brain tissue is pivotal to preventing degenerative disorders.
Also, quercetin prevents inflammation from affecting the neurons or the cells of the brain. It does this by maintaining the elasticity of the myelin sheath or the networks of the brain and nerves that transmit impulses.
In short, quercetin can prevent the development of brain disorders due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Based on numerous studies on Alzheimer’s patients, quercetin seems to slow down the progression of the disease.
7. Better Circulation
The benefits of quercetin don’t stop at immune, joint, and brain health. Did you know that quercetin can also improve your circulation?
In one animal trial, mice were given daily supplementations of quercetin for five weeks. At the end of the fifth week, the mice had lower blood pressures compared to their counterparts who received placebos.
These findings were confirmed in observational studies in humans.
Based on these human studies, quercetin has a relaxing effect on the blood vessels. The relaxation of the vascular walls allows the blood vessels to dilate more. This results in smoother blood flow and reduced blood pressure.
Wrapping Up
Quercetin can be a beneficial thing to add to your diet and supplementation routine. Besides the health effects it can have on your joints, brain, and cardiovascular system, quercetin can also:
- Keep you away from infections
- Keep inflammation at bay
- Make your allergies a thing of the past
- Protect you from many types of cancer such as prostate cancer
With all these benefits of quercetin, you should be getting more of it.
So, go ahead and indulge in that extra bowl of grapes or glass of red wine!
This article is only a very brief summary. It is not intended as an exhaustive guide and is based on the interpretation of research data, which is speculative by nature. This article is not a substitute for consulting your physician about which supplements may or may not be right for you. We do not endorse supplement use or any product or supplement vendor, and all discussion here is for scientific interest.
Cited sources:
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
