Quercetin — found in many foods and in supplement form — is an antioxidant that has recently garnered attention for these reasons. “This antioxidant supports healthy cellular function, cardiovascular health, and circulation, and encourages a healthy immune response by neutralizing free radicals,” says Jessica Cho, MD, the founder of Wellness at Century City, her personal practice in Los Angeles. “Quercetin may be beneficial for a wide range of conditions, including allergies, hay fever, asthma, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, cancer, and inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial cystitis, and prostatitis.” While it’s generally best to get antioxidants from plant-based foods to combat inflammation and related diseases, you may be wondering if you would benefit from quercetin supplementation. Here, we ask the experts about quercetin and break down the latest research. While you can gain the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of this flavonoid via food, quercetin is also available in supplement form. “Supplementing with quercetin might be warranted for someone who is trying to support their immune system, manage symptoms of allergies, or looking to optimize musculoskeletal recovery,” says Bethany Tennant, ND, the founder of Natural Sports Medicine in Portland, Oregon, which provides health advice and sells food, supplements, and beauty products. May help prevent heart disease “Quercetin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which can be cardioprotective,” says Dr. Tennant. “Research shows this flavonoid can protect against atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, endothelial cell dysfunction, and more.” Dr. Cho says quercetin may have cardioprotective effects, which “can also reduce oxidative and inflammatory damage and prevent atherosclerosis" (plaque buildup in arteries that can lead to heart attack or stroke). “Although the efficacy of quercetin in human diabetic patients is yet to be explored more, recent data has shown that quercetin is a strong potential therapy for diabetes because it modulates whole-body glucose levels by acting on many targets in the small intestine, pancreas, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver,” says Cho. “For diabetic patients, quercetin may enhance insulin function and improve glucose metabolism.”
“Since the research on quercetin is limited and you get many other nutrients from the foods, like other antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, I recommend eating a quercetin-rich food rather than using the supplement,” Rizzo says.
While it’s ideal to eat quercetin-containing foods first, your doctor may recommend supplements if your condition warrants them. At the same time, taking quercetin supplements isn’t the only way to reduce disease-causing inflammation in the body. Tennant also recommends focusing on other inflammation-fighting strategies, such as stress management. “As always, finding a root cause of inflammation is key, such as addressing toxic burden from environmental exposures, mold, stealth infections, or chronic stress,” she says.
