Quercetin

Quercetin and its historical context

“the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets)” from Ecclesiastes 12:5; Darby Translation.

As the Ecclesiast closes the discussion of mankind under the sun, notice that the caper is mentioned. Interestingly, the caper is among the many foods useful if not medicinal that have been lost to popular culture. Could the power of the caperberry lay in it’s quercetin content?

Allergies in Grovetown, GA

26% of Americans experience allergies every year. In Georgia, most of us have noticed that some seasons we get hit with more pollen than most year’s. This year, the allergies seem to be affecting more people than other years.

If you are one of the many people that get itchy eyes, sore throat, cough, runny nose or sneezing you are probably familiar with the over the counter solutions for allergies. Common examples are Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec and Flonase. Some people’s allergies get so severe that they go to the doctor for stronger prescriptions and even shots for their allergies! Notably, we have noticed people, since the onset of the COVID pandemic (correlation does not equal causation) with severe allergy symptoms such that they were convinced that they probably had an influenza or the like, to discover after failed infectious disease intervention that they had been dealing with allergies![1]

Turning to natural solutions

The vast majority of people nowadays are trying to find more natural solutions to their problems. Swarms of people are bypassing the pharmaceuticals counter and are snooping around the vitamin section of the store. If this sounds like you, or if you are still struggling with allergies after trying some of these options, Quercetin may help you find relief. We’ve also put together a short Facebook video explaining the benefits of Quercetin—watch it here.

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin is a flavonoid found naturally in many foods. The most dense food sources of quercetin are capers and elderberry, other good sources are citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, sage, tea and red wine. People have used it as a supplement to enhance antioxidant and immune system function.

Bioactive effects of Quercetin

Quercetin is a phytochemical that has promising bioactive effects. Researchers found it very effective antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-Alzheimer’s, antiarthritic, cardiovascular, and wound-healing effects and anticancer activities.” (NIH, 2020)[2]

It has a long-standing reputation as being a trusted resource in the management of allergies. It was discovered to have been very effective as supportive and in mitigating the negative effects of Covid19 and has been implicated as being protective of vascular and coronary sequelae.

Quercetin for oxidative stress and immune support

The positive effects do not end there. Because of its properties, it has been used as an agent to treat and prevent many conditions that are caused by oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory substances in your body. As humans, we are always succumbing to oxidative stress. Many people take Quercetin regularly or in response to symptoms as part of their wellness regimen.[3] [1] Imran, Mohd, et al. “The Therapeutic and Prophylactic Potential of Quercetin against COVID-19: An Outlook on the Clinical Studies, Inventive Compositions, and Patent Literature.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 Apr. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9137692/.

[2] Salehi, Bahare, et al. “Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin: New Insights and Perspectives for Human Health.” ACS Omega, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 14 May 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7254783/.

[3] Derosa G;Maffioli P;D’Angelo A;Di Pierro F; “A Role for Quercetin in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).” Phytotherapy Research : PTR, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33034398/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.