Quercetin has quickly become one of the hottest-selling nutritional supplements in recent history. And rightfully so. It's a potent immune-supporting compound.



However, quercetin offers more health benefits than immune-support alone. Find out why this flavonoid is so fabulous.





What is quercetin?



Quercetin is one of more than 4000 types of flavonoids found in plants. Flavonoids include many subcategories you've probably heard of but given little thought to:




flavones



isoflavones



flavanones



chalcones 




Plants produce polyphenols as a defense against radiation and pathogens. When we eat or consume them, they play protective roles in our bodies too.



The average person consumes about 14 mg of quercetin per day through their diet. It’s found in a variety of plant foods, as shown in the table below.



Food and Beverage Sources of QuercetinApplesBlack and green teaBlueberriesBroccoliBuckwheatCapersCherriesChokeberriesCilantroCitrus fruitsCranberriesCurly kaleDillGrapesLeeksLingonberriesLovageOnionsRed wineTeaTomatoes



Quercetin Health Benefits



Though quercetin offers numerous health benefits, once consumed, we don't absorb it very well. To derive the benefits I discuss here, you either need to eat loads of quercetin-containing foods or supplement with quercetin liposomes or phytosome, specific types of supplements designed to maximize absorption.



Liposomes and phytosome surround quercetin in a lipid shell. Lipids pass from the digestive system into your circulation easily, so quercetin liposome and phytosome have much greater bioavailability than plain quercetin.



Research shows quercetin phytosome increases blood levels by 20 times compared to plain non-phytosome versions of the supplement.



Antioxidant support



Free radicals are a natural part of life. Intense exercise, environmental toxins, smoking, stress, and poor nutrition accelerate free radical production.



Antioxidants squelch free radicals before they can cause widespread damage to your cells. Quercetin seems to be one of the most potent antioxidants.




Quercetin is a more potent antioxidant than other antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and β-carotene, and it can chelate transition metal ions, including iron.”
Dong YS, et al.



Research shows quercetin protects cells from some of the damage of cigarette smoking, though that doesn’t negate the problems smoking causes. It might be helpful if you spend a lot of time in front of bonfires or campfires, too.



Oxidative stress is also a known contributor to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Animal research shows the combination of quercetin and fish oil protects the brain from oxidative stress.



Body composition improvement



Animal research shows quercetin may prevent body fat gain when eating a higher-calorie, weight-gaining diet. In the study, animals ate a high-fat, high-calorie diet and took the supplement and showed an increase in their metabolic rates. The elevated metabolic rate may have offset the effects of the high-fat diet as they did not gain body fat.



In overweight and obese humans, supplementation with 100 mg per day of quercetin over 12 weeks reduced body fat percentage and body mass index. In another study using 150 mg per day, people experienced a reduction in waist circumference and triglyceride levels.



Cardiovascular health



People with hypertension and with the ApoE3 gene took 150 mg per day of quercetin for six weeks. Their blood pressure decreased by 3.4 mmHg. That might not seem like a lot, but each 1 mmHg decrease is equal to a 2-3% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk on a population level.



Endothelial cells line your blood vessels. When they become dysfunctional, the vessels don't relax and contract like they're supposed to. The rigid blood vessels become fragile, which leads to injury and inflammation. Quercetin helps relax blood vessels and enhances their function.