Fight Inflammation & Protect Your Brain, With Quercetin

Querying Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid (and thus, antioxidant) pigment found in many plants. Capers, radishes, and coriander/cilantro score highly, but the list is large:

USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods

Indeed,

❝Their regular consumption is associated with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neurodegenerative disorders❞

~ Dr. Aleksandra Kozłpwsla & Dr. Dorota Szostak-Wegierek

Read more: Flavonoids—food sources and health benefits

For this reason, quercetin is often sold/consumed as a supplement on the strength of its health-giving properties.

But what does the science say?

Quercetin and inflammation

In short, it helps:

❝500 mg per day quercetin supplementation for 8 weeks resulted in significant improvements in clinical symptoms, disease activity, hs-TNFα, and Health Assessment Questionnaire scores in women with rheumatoid athritis❞

~ Dr. Fatemeh Javadi et al.

Read more: The Effect of Quercetin on Inflammatory Factors and Clinical Symptoms in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Quercetin and blood pressure

It works, if antihypertensive (i.e., blood pressure lowering) effect is what you want/need:

❝…significant effect of quercetin supplementation in the reduction of BP, possibly limited to, or greater with dosages of >500 mg/day.❞

~ Dr. Maria-Corina Serban et al.

Read more: Effects of Quercetin on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Quercetin and diabetes

We’re less confident to claim this one, because (almost?) all of the research so far as been in non-human animals or in vitro. As one team of researchers put it:

❝Despite the wealth of in animal research results suggesting the anti-diabetic and its complications potential of quercetin, its efficacy in diabetic human subjects is yet to be explored❞

~ Dr. Guang-Jiang Shi et al.

Read more: In vitro and in vivo evidence that quercetin protects against diabetes and its complications: A systematic review of the literature

Quercetin and neuroprotection

Research has been done into the effect of quercetin on the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and they found…

❝The data indicate that quercetin is the major neuroprotective component in coffee against Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease❞

~ Dr. Moonhee Lee et al.

Read more: Quercetin, not caffeine, is a major neuroprotective component in coffee

Summary

Quercetin is a wonderful flavonoid that can be enjoyed as part of one’s diet and by supplementation. In terms of its popular health claims:

• It has been found very effective for lowering inflammation
• It has a moderate blood pressure lowering effect
• It may have anti-diabetes potential, but the science is young
• It has been found to have a potent neuroprotective effect

Want to get some?

We don’t sell it, but for your convenience, here’s an example product on Amazon

Enjoy!