Quercetin is a flavenol, one of the flavonoids or phytonutrients found in citrus fruits. Like other flavenoids, quercetin has been found to have important health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases in humans. The flavonoids have recently aroused considerable interest because of their potential beneficial effects on human health. In fact, they have been reported to have antiviral, anti-allergic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antioxidant activities.
Foods rich in quercetin include capers(, apples, tea, onions, red grapes, citrus fruits, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, cherries, and a number of berries.
Quercetin is one of the strongest of the flavenoids and many medicinal plants owe much of their activity to their high quercetin content. There have been numerous research studies on animal models and humans showing the benefit of quercetin on the body’s physiology.
Some of the known benefits of quercetin include:
- It has been known to block inflammation by blocking the release of histamine and other allergic/inflammatory mediators. It also blocks activation of inflammation cells (white blood cells) in the body, thus reducing inflammation further.
- It shows potent antioxidant activity. Antioxidants block and reverse the action of dangerous oxygen free radicals that increase the aging process and do damage to cellular components, including cellular and mitochondrial DNA.
- It blocks lipid peroxidation, known to lead to atherosclerosis.
- Treating with a one minute treatment with quercetin and ultrasound reveals a 90% mortality rate within 48 hours of tumor cells with no visible mortality of normal cells. Ultrasound promotes topical absorption by up to 1,000 times making the use of topical quercetin and ultrasound wands an interesting treatment methodology.
- Quercetin had been found to have preventative abilities in other related adverse health conditions.
- Has been shown to provide additional health benefits particularly in active smokers.
- Recent studies have found that quercetin can help men with chronic prostatitis, most likely because of its action as a mast cell inhibitor. It is also believed to prevent cancer of the prostate.
- Its anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce the pain of arthritis or other inflammatory conditions.
- Quercetin has been found to promote lung health.
- Quercetin and other flavenoids seem to reduce the levels of uric acid in animal models.
- Ideally, one should get quercetin in the diet; however, it isn’t practical for most individuals. This is why supplementing with a metabolic or nutritional supplement containing quercetin is probably a good idea, particularly for prostatitis, cancer prevention and the treatment of allergic conditions.
- Shoskes, DA et al . "Quercetin in men with category III chronic prostatitis: a preliminary prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Urology. 1999; 54 (6).
- Paliwal S, et. al. "Induction of cancer-specific cytotoxicity towards human prostate and skin cells using quercetin and ultrasound". British Journal of Cancer 2005; 92.
- USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods.
- Nöthlings U, et al. “Flavonols and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study.” Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Aug 9.
- Hung, H. “Dietary quercetin inhibits proliferation of lung carcinoma cells”. Forum Nutr. 2007;60:146-57.
- Mo SF, et al. “Hypouricemic action of selected flavonoids in mice: structure-activity relationships”. Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Aug;30(8):1551-6.
|
