Quercetin for Asthma, Allergies and Brain Health!

We’re constantly plagued by ageing cells throughout our body. It’s the reason that disease and illness tend to take over later in life, and especially when we don’t take care of  every detail of our health. Even activities that have a far greater amount of benefits than negative effects, like exercise, cause damage to our body. That is why ingredients like Quercetin have been added to ONSET. With antioxidant properties and positive effects on the symptoms of asthma, allergies, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders – Quercetin is a key ingredient that you should be including in your supplement stack on top of natural sources!

Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid (plant pigment).¹⁴ Polyphenols are compounds that are naturally found in vegetables, fruits, spices, dark chocolate, and wine. There are over 8,000 known types of polyphenols in the world, and they’re divided into three categories: Flavonoids, Polyphenolic Acids and Polyphenolic Amides – outliers also exist.¹⁶ Flavonoids, of which Quercetin is one, account for most polyphenols. Vegetables like Dock, Watercress, Cilantro, Kale and Onions, as well as in fruits like apples, berries, and citrus have the highest content of Quercetin. The highest amount of Quercetin is found in a vegetable called Dock and is most often found in Europe and western Asia, but is also found in the US.⁹ This compound has a wide range of uses and research on-going but some of the most important benefits are it’s antioxidative ability, anti-allergy effects and positive effects on neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease.

BENEFITS

Vitamin-C has always been the compound that the public accepts as the most important antioxidant but that’s not entirely the case. Studies have shown that when Quercetin is combined with Vitamin-C they have overlapping immunomodulatory properties that increase efficiency.⁶ A study done on 60 participants in which groups were given either, a combination of Vitamin-C and Quercetin; Quercetin; Vitamin-C; or a placebo, found that the combination of Quercetin and Vitamin-C was effective in reducing oxidative stress.¹⁸ Oxidative stress is cell and tissue damage caused by an over-accumulation of oxygen reactive compounds (free radicals) that increase toxicity of the system. What’s more is that in a study on the effects of flavonoids and Vitamin-C on oxidative DNA damage, Quercetin was found to have a higher protective effect.^{18, 23, 24} Less free radicals, means less tissue and cell damage and a stronger immune system. This effect on oxidative stress also has positive benefits for brain health.

Oxidative stress is a leading trigger of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease ²⁴, which Quercetin has been shown to mitigate ^{7, 10, 12}, however, there is another trigger of neurodegeneration as well. Mitochondrial Dysfunction negates the cell from engaging in cellular energy production and generating ATP (high energy molecule) at an optimal rate. A series of reactions depend on this pathway, such as to remove toxins and allow muscles and organs to function, among others. As these function slow, harmful by-products build up in cells and this build up is one of the outcomes that increases risks of neurodegenerative disorders. Quercetin has been shown to increase mitochondrial bioenergetics in a series of neuronal cells as well as reduce neurotoxicity and motor deficits in subjects.⁴

Quercetin has been shown in multiple studies to have a significant effect on histamine release.^{2, 13, 21} Allergens cause histamines to be released to destroy the allergen that has entered the system. The immune responses, such as runny noses, coughing and congestion are all outcomes of the release of histamines. Histamines are produced by Mast Cells which reside in many tissues in the human body. Quercetin inhibits those Mast Cells and reduces the immune response, and any accompanying inflammation that would otherwise damage cells.² With this action, as well as other more specific mechanisms, Quercetin has also been shown to reduce allergen-induced asthmatic events and may even be effective in the treatment of COVID19 symptoms.^{3, 5, 15, 17}

It has been shown to reduce asthmatic pathologies through multiple other pathways as well. In a systematic review of over 80 studies, Quercetin was found to mitigate eosinophil and neutrophil (white blood cells active in inflammation) activity, bronchial epithelial activity (causing inflammation) and airway remodeling (caused by inflammation and influx of collagen).^{8, 17} Each of these pathologies cause inflammation in the respiratory tract which, when experienced chronically, all contribute to a less efficient cardio-respiratory system.¹⁹ A literature review in the Experimental Neurology Journal found that chronic inflammation from Asthma has effects on synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, causing significant cognitive processing impairments.¹ Quercetin has also been shown to acutely relax smooth muscle tissue in the airways of subjects through inhibition of various reactions.²²

So, if you’re interested in keeping your immune system functioning, keeping your brain at tip-top shape, and alleviating the respiratory and inflammatory effects of allergies or asthma, then Quercetin is a compound that you should be including in your diet. Experts suggest having between 400 and 500 mg/daily which means that a combination of foods rich in Quercetin and supplements like ONSET, with 200 mg/serving of Quercetin are paramount to enjoying the benefits of this powerful flavonoid.