Quercetin for COVID-19
- by Dr. Daniel
- Published on
In This Article
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
What makes a superfood a super food?
In other words, why are blueberries, strawberries, kale and green tea all considered superfoods? Quercetin.
Quercetin is considered to be one of the most widely distributed and studied flavonoids.
Dozen's of studies have demonstrated it's anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.
A study is now underway in China looking at quercetin and COVID19.
While there are online resources recommending quercetin now as a possible treatment for COVID-19, it's important to remember that we don't really know that outcome of the COVID-19 and Quercetin trials and the data may not be available for months.
What is Quercetin?
Quercetin is a type of flavonoid antioxidant found in plant foods, including leafy greens, tomatoes, berries and broccoli.
It’s technically considered a “plant pigment,” which is exactly why it’s found in deeply colored, nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables.
Considered one of the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet, quercetin plays an important part in fighting free radical damage, the effects of aging and inflammation, according to many studies.
While you can get plenty of it from eating a healthy diet, some people also take this compound in concentrated supplement form for even stronger anti-inflammatory effects.
What is quercetin used for? According to the Department of Pathology and Diagnostics at the University of Verona in Italy, quercetin glycosides and other flavonoids, (like kaempferol and myricetin) are “anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic agents.”
They have potential to be expressed positively in different cell types in both animals and humans.
Flavonoid polyphenols are most beneficial for down-regulating or suppressing inflammatory pathways and functions. Quercetin is considered the most diffused and known nature-derived flavonol there is, showing strong effects on immunity and inflammation caused by leukocytes and other intracellular signals.
What Foods Contain Quercetin?
All types of tasty red, green and purple-pigmented plants come packed with quercetin – for example, red wine, blueberries, apples, red onion and even green tea are some of the best sources.
Quercetin is actually believed to be the most abundant flavonoid in the human diet. But the amount found in plant foods can vary a lot depending on where they’re grown, how fresh they are, how they’re prepared and so on.
Some of the top sources of quercetin to add to your diet include:
- Apples
- Peppers
- Red wine
- Dark cherries and berries (blueberries, bilberries, blackberries and others)
- Tomatoes
- Cruciferous veggies, including broccoli, cabbage and sprouts
- Leafy green veggies, including spinach, kale
- Citrus fruits
- Cocoa
- Cranberries
- Whole grains, including buckwheat
- Raw asparagus
- Capers
- Raw red onion
- Olive oil
- Black and green tea
- Beans/legumes
- Herbs, including sage, American elder, St. John’s wort and ginkgo biloba
How to Supplement with Quercetin
Given that Quercetin is a supplement that has other benefits including possibly anti-aging, my sense is that this is one to take right now.
The usual dose is 500 mg to 1,000 mg a day.
It’s also often complexed with other supplements such as Bromelain (a digestive enzyme from Pineapples) or Vitamin C, which are both thought to improve absorption. Hence getting it as a combo with either one is a good idea.
One of my favorite products is D-Hist by Ortho Molecular Products.
Do I know it works for sure? Not for COVID-19, but the circumstantial evidence is good enough for me and there's no downside that I have found.
However, only you can decide, based on what’s presented and without clinical trials, if the data is compelling enough for you.
Related Articles
