Quercetin is Amazing and a Must Have Nutrient

Let’s take a few paragraphs to discuss and oddly named plant flavonoid and anti-oxidant; quercetin.  Quercetin has been pushed to the forefront of nutritional supplementation news due to its anti-viral properties and the beneficial effects on fighting off covid-19.  As written about previously, quercetin acts as an ionophore.  Meaning it transports nutrients into our body’s cell walls, particularly immune system cells. The main nutrient of concern that quercetin pushes into immune cells is zinc.  This is important because zinc is essential to immune system function and plays a huge role in fighting viruses.  Quercetin pushes zinc into the cells.  That alone is enough reason to have quercetin in your medicine cabinet (along with zinc).  That being said, quercetin has many other scientifically researched health benefits. 

As I mentioned, quercetin is a plant flavonoid.  Flavonoids are plant compounds found in fruits and vegetables.  Quercetin is the most abundant plant flavonoid found in our diet.  Foods that commonly contain quercetin include onions, apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, cherries, green tea, coffee, red wine, and capers.  Quercetin boosts immunity, fights inflammation, combats allergies, aid exercise performance and maintains general health.

In a review of test-tube and animal studies, quercetin was found to suppress cancer cell growth and induce cancer cell death.  Research suggests that quercetin’s antioxidant properties may help protect against degenerative brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Quercetin is found in all the fruits and vegetables mentioned above and is safe to consume. As a vitamin supplement, it is safe with little to no side effects.  Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and people with kidney disease should avoid quercetin. At doses greater than 1000mg per day, there have been reports of damage to the kidneys.

As a daily health supplement, I personally take 250mg per days.  If I feel cold or viral symptoms coming on I take 250mg twice a day with 30mg of zinc.  My normal daily dose of zinc is 15mg a day.

Covid-19 Update:  According to the most scientifically published doctor in our country, Dr. Peter McCullough, covid 19 variants are nothing to fear.  Dr. McCullough has over 650 citations in the National Library of Medicine; over 1,000 publications on the interface between heart and kidney disease.  He has also lectured at the New York Academy of Sciences, the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration], the European Medicine Agency (EMA).  McCullough also testified in the U.S. Senate concerning covid-19 protocol and has helped the White House when called upon.

McCullough states that covid-19 variants will become progressively milder over time, becoming indistinguishable from the common cold, which rarely needs prescription drug intervention.  In a recent article, the doctor discussed that if you've had COVID and are fretting about newer variants that have mutated to evade natural immunity — relax. If you haven't gotten vaccinated and get reinfected with the BA.5 or other variant, understand that this exposure essentially works like an "immunization booster" and will radically improve your immune response to future variants. McCullough says that statistically, most of the serious COVID infections are now occurring in those who have received one or more COVID vaccinations. In a nutshell, their immune systems have been compromised and do not offer as much protection for reinfection as those who have natural immunity.

Pregnancy Prenatal Chiropractic Information:  Research suggests that managing your microbiome during pregnancy can impact both the course of your pregnancy and the microbiome of your baby.  LOL, microbiome is a fancy word for healthy gut bacteria.  Eating pre-biotic and probiotic foods can be very helpful during pregnancy.  The gut microbiome is complex and plays an essential role in the development and control of the immune system. Maternal health, and the state of the maternal gut microbiome, before and during pregnancy is an important determinant for the development of newborn microbiome.  Gut bacteria is transferred during pregnancy to the developing baby.  This is why a diet that contains fermented foods such as sauerkraut. Kimchi, tofu are important for pregnancy health. 

Author

Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.