“What, you’re coming here to give me some random pills that I’m just supposed to start taking?” my son asked. He has asthma and allergies. I spelled it out for him and told him to look at Pubmed and Google Scholar.
I gave him the pills and he wanted to know any restrictions. I looked at the label and said, “You’re not pregnant or breastfeeding, you’re not a child, you’re good to go.”
Yao Li et al advise in a special issue “Flavonoids, Inflammation and Immune System” that quercetin has “anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and psychostimulant activities, as well as the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation and capillary permeability, and to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis.”
An article in Pharmacognosy Reviews says “Quercetin is one of the important bioflavonoids present in more than twenty plants materials and which is known for its anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, vasodilator effects, antiobesity, antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic activities.”
José L. Quiles et al report, “Many pharmacological activities of quercetin have been reported. Among these, the anticancer capacity and the ability to fight against viruses can be highlighted. Moreover, it is useful treating allergic diseases and, from the point of view of cardiovascular disorders, metabolic diseases and different conditions in which inflammation is a key factor.”
I told my kidling, “Or you could eat blueberries, but quite a lot of them.” Yao Li et al list the foods rich in this flavonoid: “Quercetin-type flavonols (primarily as quercetin glycosides), the most abundant of the flavonoid molecules, are widely distributed in plants. They are found in a variety of foods including apples, berries, Brassica vegetables, capers, grapes, onions, shallots, tea, and tomatoes, as well as many seeds, nuts, flowers, barks, and leaves. Quercetin is also found in medicinal botanicals, including Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum, and Sambucus canadensis . In red onions, higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings and in the part closest to the root, the latter being the part of the plant with the highest concentration. One study found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than chemically grown fruit. Quercetin is present in various kinds of honey from different plant sources. Food-based sources of quercetin include vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, beverages and other products of plant origin.”
Here’s the food list from Alexander Victor Anand David et al: “It is one of the most abundant dietary flavonoids found in fruits (mainly citrus), green leafy vegetables as well as many seeds, buckwheat, nuts, flowers, barks, broccoli, olive oil, apples, onions, green tea, red grapes, red wine, dark cherries, and berries such as blueberries and cranberries. The highest concentrations of flavonols were found in vegetables such as onions and broccoli, fruits such as apples, cherries, and berries, and drinks such as tea and red wine.”
A study published in 2020 lists these food items for quercetin: apples, berries, cilantro (coriander), onions, capers, lovage, and dill.
My hubby very rarely gets gout, and carries a pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory when he travels for work, that’s often when it hits. So I got us a bottle of Querecetin for our household as well. Plus I bought some blueberries at the Farmers Market.
References
David, A. et al. (2016.) “Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid.” From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214562/
Li, Y. et al. (2016.) “Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity.” From https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/3/167/htm
Quiles, J. et al. (2020.) “Do nutrients and other bioactive molecules from foods have anything to say in the treatment against COVID-19?” From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442575/
Char Can Cook Keto 