Does it seem like you keep hearing a lot about quercetin on social media or sources lately? That’s because it really does work. Although it’s not a new nutrient, many people are finding that is a bonafide help to the immune system and even more. Before we do a deep dive on that . . .
What is quercetin?
Quercetin is a flavonoid that is part of a group of plant pigments found in a wide range of foods, such as herbs, vegetables, fruits, and more. As a supplement, quercetin is derived from the Japanese Pagoda tree.
Quercetin is known to be an effective antioxidant because it’s great at helping to neutralize free radicals. Some free radical production is normal during the body’s typical metabolic processes, but too much generation of free radicals may contribute to many chronic diseases such as digestive dysfunction, heart disease, and immune stress.
Legendary Health Effects
Quercetin is considered to be one of the most extensively studied plant compounds. Consuming it in our diets is linked to what we are all looking for: better health, increased longevity, improved immune response, better heart health … and just what you’d like to have: a super body status. Smile!
What does the research say? Many clinical studies on quercetin demonstrate its effects that are anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and even anticarcinogenic. Wow! What can’t it do? Now we know why it has been elevated to super-nutrient star status.
Allergy Relief
Quercetin is well known for its ability to decrease the effects of seasonal allergy symptoms. Because quercetin is a powerful antioxidant, it has properties that are anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and antiviral. According to research, it can also help reduce oxidative stress and blood clots in arteries.
Key Benefits
Quercetin is not a magic bullet for everything, so you really don’t want to take it in isolation. The goal is to add it to a robust nutritional supplement regimen to cover all your nutritional bases. The research on quercetin is quite promising. Here are a few highlights:
- Nutrient Booster. Quercetin is known to act synergistically when taken with other immune-boosting nutrients such as zinc. For example, quercetin can help zinc enter cells where it can help decrease or stop viral replication.
- Colds and Flu. Quercetin may reduce the risk of getting viruses, such as colds and flu. Some physicians recommend quercetin as a preventive for colds and flu as well as other health conditions.
- Upper Respiratory Infections. Quercetin has been used to treat upper respiratory infections such as colds and flu.
- Herpes. Some doctors believe that quercetin helps reduce the frequency and severity of herpes outbreaks. It seems to work by inhibiting viral replication and preventing viral entry into cells.
- Histamine. Quercetin may help stop the overactivation of mast cells which produce histamine. When too much histamine is produced, it can become inflammatory and create allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and just feeling run down.
The Mighty Quercetin Compound: Reports of Benefits
Both practitioners and patients have reported that using quercetin has been helpful in combatting conditions that are related to inflammation. Here are some of the conditions noted:
- viral infections
- inflamed prostate
- inflamed bladder
- painful and inflamed ovaries
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- chronic infection of the prostate
- skin disorders
- allergies
- high cholesterol
- heart disease
- insulin resistance and digestive dysfunction
- eye-related disorders
- allergies and hay fever
- stomach ulcers
- brain fog; unclear thinking
- gout
Wow! That is quite a list. Now we know why quercetin is getting to be so popular!
Quercetin: Get a Clean Source
To start getting the fantastic benefits of quercetin yourself, you can purchase it as a nutritional supplement. Please be sure to source it from a reputable, “clean ingredient” manufacturer. Read ingredients carefully to avoid unwanted added excipients such as magnesium stearate.
What beneficial health-related experiences will you have?