Beyond Covid- Benefits of Quercetin
Quercetin is the most abundant antioxidant in the human body.
Quercetin is a bioflavanoid, from the group of plant polyphenols. This means it’s also an antioxidant. In fact it’s actually one of the most abundantly found antioxidants in the human body, so it plays an important role in reducing free radicals and oxidative stress.. It’s found in foods like kale, capers, apples, green tea, broccoli, coffee, citrus fruits, and red onions. On average, a person consumes between 10-100mg a day of quercetin through diet alone.
Prior to Covid-19 and the pandemic, quercetin was not very widely known or used. Its popularity as part of both prophylactic and early treatment protocols from the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) have really given quercetin it’s fifteen minutes of fame! The prevention protocol from the FLCC calls for 250mg once daily, while early treatment calls for 250mg twice daily. Quercetin is not on their hospital treatment or long covid protocols.
How Does Quercetin Help With Covid-19 Symptoms?
Quercetin suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasomes. These inflammasomes have been shown to be at least partially responsible for the cytokine storm that is the resulting cause of death in many Covid-19 patients [1]
Querectin is recommended in tandem with zinc by the FLCC, and this is because researchers feel the quercetin will aid in the zinc getting into the cell where it can potentially stop reproduction of the virus.
Querctin also has potential, all on its own, to help reduce both severity and length of upper respiratory infections. There are quite a few studies on this subject, and they sometimes present conflicting results. One study separated out subjects by age and fitness level, and found that quercetin showed a statistically significant reduction in sick days due to upper respiratory infections only in the group of subjects over 40 who were considered to be physically fit. [2]
A mouse-model study of COPD found that quercetin helped slow progression of rhinovirus induced lung disease. [3]
Due to the high potentials of quercetin to help in reducing lung issues in general, it seems to show promise in helping reduce respiratory symptoms of Covid-19, particularly in the Omicron strain which seems to be more upper respiratory and not so much lower respiratory, as previous strains were.
Quercetin is an antioxidant and can help with:
Covid-19 respiratory symptoms
Seasonal allergies
Longevity
Cancer
Heart Health
Quercetin can be quite helpful at reducing or relieving seasonal allergies.
Quercetin can be helpful in easing or relieving allergy symptoms. I often recommend quercetin for my clients who suffer from seasonal or pet allergies- this is probably the most common use of quercetin prior to Covid-19. It can block the enzymes related to inflammation promoting chemicals, mainly histamine [4,5,6,7].
One study even showed that taking quercetin can reduce peanut related anaphylactic reactions in mice. While this is certainly interesting, quercetin (or any supplement) should never be used in place of life saving medication like an epi pen when it comes to anaphylactic allergies.
For anti-allergy effects to take place, you typically need to be taking quercetin for about a month before a noticeable difference occurs, so if your allergies are seasonal, you have to be a bit pre-emptive with this and start taking it about a month before you’d typically experience allergy symptoms.
Quercetin is a favorite supplement among longevity biohackers.
This is because it has the potential, again due to its antioxidant status, to help kill cancer cells, control blood sugar, prevent heart disease, and prevent against degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
A mouse study showed that mice receiving injections of quercetin showed a reversal of Alzheimers markers and performed better on learning tests.
Coffee consumption has been linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Research has shown that it is the quercetin content, not caffeine, that is the primary compound in coffee responsible for its potential protective effects against Alzheimers and dementia [8].
Quercetin can help prevent heart disease by reducing blood pressure- it seems to have a relaxing effect on blood vessels [9]. A small human study showing these protective effects had subjects taking 500mg or more of quercetin daily [10].
Quercetin has been shown in both human and animal research to not only reduce fasting blood glucose, but to also protect against complications of diabetes [11].
Studies have also shown that quercetin can help improve NAD levels by reducing a specific inflammatory factor called CD38, which consumes NAD at the cellular level. CD38 increases as we age and is the main reason why our NAD levels exponentially decrease with age. NAD is crucial for converting food to energy but also plays a crucial role in maintaining DNA integrity and ensures proper cell function to protect our bodies from aging and disease[12].
Regarding cancer, quercetin has repressed the proliferation of cancers such as gastric cancer (GC) [13], breast cancer [14], colorectal cancer (CRC) [15], oral cancer [16], liver cancer [17], prostate cancer [18], thyroid cancer [19], leukemia [20], pancreatic cancer [21] and lung cancer [22]. It seems to act on these various cancers in slightly different pathways, but acts as an anti-proliferative and stimulates apoptosis in all of them. This means it is helpful in stopping the spread of cells and causes cancer cell death.
Studies show anti-inflamamtory markers are also reduced by quercetin- CRP was reduced in human studies [23] CRP is a commonly used inflammatory marker. It can also reduce the accumulation of uric acid, which can be helpful in those suffering from gout [24].
No serious adverse effects from quercetin use have been reported. In fact, studies have shown that it can be taken safely at 500 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. Longer-term use and higher doses remain an unknown at this time. Some people may experience headaches, stomach aches, or tingling sensations if taking more than 1000 mg of quercetin in a day.
A typical dose can range from 250-1000mg a day. When taken by itself, quercetin has fairly low bioavailability, meaning it isn’t absorbed very well. Often times quercetin supplements will contain other compounds to help with absorbability, like vitamin c or digestive enzymes- bromelain is often paired with quercetin. It also has been shown to have a synergistic effect when it’s paired with other flavonoids, so you’ll also see these paired together in supplements. And this shouldn’t be a surprise, because these antioxidants are usually found in food together.
Life Extensions makes a quercetin capsule with other bioflavonoids and camu camu extract. Designs for Health has a quercetin blended with nettles, this one would be particularly good if you’re using it for seasonal allergy relief. Jarrow makes one with 500mg per capsule, so this is a good choice if you are trying to cut down on the number of capsules you’re taking, as most others are 250mg per cap.
You can find all the supplements I recommend and more by shopping my Fullscript link, which will automatically take 25% off your order. Click below to find your Quercetin supplement of choice!