Quercetin is a flavonol found in red grapes, onions, red leaf lettuce, elderflower and green tea, to name a few. Research has demonstrated the positive effect it has on blood pressure. (The power of the internet will help you to do your research!)
Flavonols, like quercetin, are antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals, helping to prevent DNA damage and cell death. In the past two years, the antiviral benefits of quercetin have been the focus of many studies. However, there are also many other lesser-known benefits, making it useful for a variety of different health conditions.
In many instances, quercetin is sold in combination with bromelain or vitamin C. Quercetin is not water-soluble which reduces the absorption rate. However, when administered with vitamin C or bromelain, absorption and bioavailability increase.
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in the stem of the pineapple plant, which has been used independently to reduce swelling after surgery or injury and has been used topically to help treat burns.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, nearly half of adults have high blood pressure in the U.S., and most are recommended prescription medication with lifestyle changes. High blood pressure increases the risk for stroke and heart attack, which are two of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
The blood pressure-lowering actions of quercetin on the body, according to researchers, include factors that help to regulate blood pressure, including the nervous system, cardiac output, total blood volume and the renin-angiotensin system.
The researchers noted several past studies that demonstrated taking between 150 mg per day and 730 mg per day could lower high blood pressure, decreasing systolic and diastolic pressures.
The scientists wrote quercetin’s antihypertensive actions operated through a modification of a variety of factors, including vascular compliance and resistance, total blood volume and the autonomic nervous system. In addition to these global actions, quercetin appears to have a unique ability to regulate gene expression that is mediated by controlling negative chloride actions in the cell’s cytosol. (Kinda deep, but good news!)
Negative chloride ions help control the intracellular activity of many other ions in the cytosol, which is the water-based fluid that surrounds intracellular structures. The gene expression that controls the chloride ions triggers sodium reabsorption, which then reduces body fluid volume and therefore influences volume-mediated high blood pressure.
A 2016 study in the journal Nutrients detailed quercetin's properties for combating inflammation and supporting immunity.
In a 2016 paper published in the journal Molecules, the researchers wrote that the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties can be used in the treatment of restricted peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions, allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma response.
In the past two years, research into quercetin’s antiviral properties has risen dramatically. In fact, this is one of the most well-studied attributes of quercetin. One study funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) used an animal model demonstrating subjects treated with quercetin had lower morbidity and mortality after being challenged with the highly pathogenic H1N1 influenza virus.
Multiple other studies have also demonstrated quercetin’s effectiveness against a variety of viruses including influenza A and B, and a wide variety of influenza viruses, including H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1.
Combining quercetin with bromelain or vitamin C has been a component of several successful COVID-19 protocols. Quercetin is a zinc ionophore, which helps improve the cell's ability to absorb zinc where it is effective as an antiviral. Dr. Vladimir Zelenko was among the first doctors to discover and implement a treatment utilizing zinc and an ionophore that has been credited with saving millions of lives around the world.
Considering the powerful antiviral effects of quercetin, it is sensible to use it before resorting to antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. Not only has Tamiflu been shown to shorten the duration of flu symptoms by only hours, the risks can far outweigh the benefits. (I know, dangerous talk in today's environment.)
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