Have you heard of quercetin before? It is a powerful flavonoid that offers a variety of health benefits, including reducing skin irritation, boosting the immune system, preventing certain types of cancer, managing diabetes, lowering blood pressure, protecting against cardiovascular illness, relieving pain and reducing irritation. There’s more to quercetin than meets the eye. Keep reading to learn more!
What is Quercetin?
Quercetin is a type of flavonoid antioxidant found in plant foods like broccoli, berries, tomatoes and leafy greens. Technically, people consider it a plant pigment because it is found in deeply colored, nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits.
Quercetin is one of the most abundant antioxidant properties in the diet and plays an important role in getting rid of the damage caused by free radicals, such as inflammation and aging. Though you can easily get a lot of it just by following a healthy diet, some people also take supplements, if only for their anti-inflammatory effects.
Flavonoid’s molecular structure is similar to flavone, and it is a major component in orange and red pigmentation. It’s also used as a colouring agent in various teas and wines. You can find it in broccoli, blueberries, sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, kale, dates, plums, dill, sorrel, lovage, capers and many other commonly eaten foods. Since molecular research about the organic components of food is somewhat new, research is ongoing, but there have been a lot of promising studies which show quercetin is essential in boosting the overall health.
How Does Quercetin Work and How Much Do You Need?
Studies show that the anti-inflammatory foods that have quercetin may help manage inflammatory health conditions like blood vessel conditions, heart disease, symptoms of autoimmune conditions, chronic fatigue, infections, allergies and more.
Quercetin works by scavenging free radicals, and since it’s a main bioflavonoid in diets, it helps slow down the aging process by lessening the effects of the body’s oxidative stress. Oxidative stress takes place in each and every one of us, but it can be worsened by factors like exposure to chemical toxins, lack of sleep, high-stress levels and poor diet.
Moreover, quercetin plays a vital role in your immune system’s response to outside stressors through cell signaling pathways known as phosphatases and kinases. These are two types of membrane proteins and enzymes which are necessary for proper cell function.
How much quercetin do we need? Well, there is no recommended amount of quercetin intake, so dosage recommendations may vary depending on your health condition. Estimates show that most people usually get between 5-40 milligrams of it every day from eating common plant-based food. If you’re following a nutrient-rich diet, you’re likely to be eating even more than this.
Health Benefits of Quercetin
Here are some of the most astounding health benefits of quercetin:
- Possesses anti-allergenic properties. Quercetin is beneficial in treating allergies. This is mainly because the antioxidants reduce the levels of histamine, which are released when an allergenic pathway is stimulated.
- Helps lower blood pressure. Quercetin has the capacity to lower blood pressure. As an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasodilating substance, it is beneficial for the heart in a lot of ways.
- Helps prevent various types of cancer. The antioxidant properties of the quercetin are its most important aspect. Like other flavonoids, quercetin seeks out free radicals and neutralizes them before they can cause any damage. This is one of the best health benefits of quercetin.
- Helps treat asthma. Quercetin may function as a bronchodilator and help reduce body’s levels of inflammatory chemicals, meaning it’s essential in reducing the severity of asthma attacks.
- Helps manage diabetes. Quercetin is essential in managing and preventing diabetes, since it’s a kind of aldose inhibitor.
- Possesses anti-inflammatory properties. There are a number of anti-inflammatory properties in quercetin which may reduce inflammation.
