Quercetin

Quercetin Benefits

Flavonoids, or antioxidants, are so important because they are the cleansers of your body. They go through your body and get rid of free radicals that can cause cell damage and cancer. In some cases they can only neutralize them, but in other cases they can actually help reduce the damage that may have already been done.

In addition to fighting free radicals, quercetin supplements may be able to neutralize LDL. LDL is the bad cholesterol that is responsible for a lot of heart disease. By disarming the LDL, quercetin may be able to help keep your heart healthy, too. It can also help to lower blood pressure and reduce hypertension.

Other benefits that quercetin supplements may help include acting like an antihistamine, reducing allergies and hay fever. It may also help reduce symptoms, such as hives and swelling. Asthma sufferers may also receive relief from this natural antihistamine.

As an anti-inflammatory, quercetin supplements may help reduce inflammation of the prostate. It can also help reduce interstitial cystitis, which is a painful condition that affects the bladder.

Although there is not a lot of evidence to confirm that quercetin supplements can help people who have rheumatoid arthritis, cultures where a high amount of quercetin is consumed naturally do not have high incidents of this crippling condition. Quercetin can be found naturally in several fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, dark cherries, and grapes. It is also found in olive oil, which is one of the healthiest oils you can choose for cooking or flavoring.

Quercetin Side Effects

Since quercetin occurs naturally, there are very few side effects. Some people may experience headaches or nausea when taking quercetin supplements, but this is not a common complaint.

It is possible that taking quercetin supplements can lead to your body into not using its protein correctly. However, this is usually caused by a byproduct of quercetin and not quercetin itself.

Some people should not take quercetin supplements regardless of their other conditions and ailments. People who have kidney disease should not take these flavonoids, especially if the dosage exceeds one gram a day.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also avoid taking quercetin supplements since the dangers are still unclear. The biggest danger of taking quercetin supplements may be in its drug interactions with each other.

If you are taking anticoagulants, do not take quercetin supplements without first consulting with your doctor. The same is true if you are receiving chemotherapy. In both of these cases, the quercetin can enhance the effects of the drug, which may make it more dangerous for the patient.

Steroid hormones such as corticosteroids may not flush out of your system as quickly when you are taking quercetin supplements. Quercetin may have the opposite effect on cyclosporine, keeping your body from absorbing the immune suppressing drug.

Quercetin Dosage

How much quercetin supplements you decide to take is ultimately your decision. Some people, including children, should not take any of these antioxidant flavonoids.

If you take any medications as described above, then you need to talk to your doctor before starting quercetin supplements. If you are not on any medication and plan on taking quercetin supplements, then you may want to consider the following dosage guidelines.

• For treating the prostrate or bladder, you can take 500mg every day, twice a day. Allergy sufferers may benefit from 600mg every day, but the dosage should be split up into several doses.
• People who take quercetin supplements for general health can take up to 250mg a day, three times a day. No matter what your dosage level is and why you are taking it, you should never exceed taking one gram a day unless your doctor has cleared it otherwise.

If your doctor has cleared you taking quercetin supplements, you can buy them in either pill form or capsule form. The supplements may be combined with other enzymes or flavonoids for additional anti-inflammatory benefit. Find and compare quercetin supplements with the free supplement finder now!