What’s the Best Quercetin Supplement?

Quercetin Supplement Benefits

Benefits of taking a quercetin supplement include:

• Inflammation reduction: High levels of free radicals can promote inflammation, and that’s the root cause of many health conditions, including cancer, kidney, and heart disease. Quercetin is a potent inflammation reliever. For example, in a study of 50 women with rheumatoid arthritis, taking 500 mg of quercetin a day reduced stiffness and pain.
• Helps with allergies: Because of the anti-inflammatory properties, people often use quercetin to provide relief from allergy symptoms. In research, quercetin has been found to block enzymes that play a role in inflammation, and it may suppress histamine, a chemical promoting inflammation.
• Anticancer benefits: Due to its antioxidant properties, quercetin may help with cancer. In both animal and test-tube studies, quercetin has been found to suppress the growth of cancer cells and induce their death.
• Reduced risk of brain disorders: Since it’s high in antioxidants, quercetin might protect against dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative brain diseases. In a study with mice who had Alzheimer’s, taking quercetin injections every two days for three months reversed several key markers of the disease.
• Lower blood pressure: Quercetin is thought to relax blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure.
• Fights aging: Quercetin has been shown in animal and test-tube studies to reduce markers of aging and rejuvenate aging cells.
• Exercise performance: A few studies have found quercetin supplements may help with endurance exercise performance.
• Blood sugar control: In studies in humans and animals, quercetin has been found to reduce fasting blood sugar levels, protecting against diabetes complications.

Quercetin Benefits for Skin

Quercetin benefits for skin stem from its antioxidant properties that can fight free radical damage. This free radical damage causes fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.

Using a quercetin supplement or product can help reduce skin inflammation and reverse the effects of UV radiation.

When To Take Quercetin

You can take quercetin any time. It doesn’t necessarily stimulate you in terms of your energy levels, nor does it have properties that would cause it to make you tired. Quercetin is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, so the timing you take it at isn’t relevant to its effects. Try to take it at a time when it’s most convenient, and you can also take it when you’re experiencing allergies, nasal congestion, pain, or symptoms of inflammation.

Taking a quercetin supplement with food can also be a good idea because it binds to protein in the intestines and can be more easily absorbed into your bloodstream compared to when you take it on an empty stomach.

Doses of quercetin typically range from 500 to 1000 mg per day. Taking quercetin with other compounds like digestive enzymes (bromelain) or vitamin C can help you absorb more, as can taking a phytosome supplement. There’s also some evidence to suggest that quercetin works synergistically with other flavonoid supplements such as resveratrol.

Who Should Not Take Quercetin

Since it’s found naturally in a lot of fruits and vegetables, it’s considered generally safe to take a quercetin supplement. Avoid taking very high doses of more than 1,000 mg a day, which can lead to symptoms like a stomach ache or headache.

You might not want to take quercetin if you have any bleeding problems or take a blood thinner because it could further cause your blood to thin. Also, avoid taking it if you’re also taking a blood pressure medicine or antibiotic unless you talk to your health care provider first.

Should You Take Quercetin at Night or Morning?

It doesn’t make a difference if you take quercetin at night or morning, but taking it with food is best.

Quercetin and Zinc Benefits

Quercetin and zinc uniquely work together. Zinc is a nutrient important for your immune system’s function. Zinc controls messaging of your immune system within your cells. It can stop the reproduction of viruses quickly, but for it to be effective and to strengthen your immune system, zinc has to be pushed into your cells.

To push a nutrient into your cells, there needs to be what’s known as an ionophore. An ionophore can transport substances across your cell wall barrier, where they need to be to have the most benefits.

Quercetin is a natural ionophore. Quercetin can effectively push zinc into the center of your cells, where it can go to work.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the best quercetin supplement, the choice ultimately comes down to what you hope to achieve by taking it. Regardless of which quercetin supplement you take, this flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables has powerful health benefits, which can be especially useful for any condition related to inflammation. Quercetin can help with pain, swelling, and allergy symptoms; according to some research, may even have anti-cancer benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a quercetin supplement good for?

A quercetin supplement can kill cancer cells, control blood sugar, and helping heart disease. These supplements are good for symptoms of allergies, they can reduce inflammation and swelling, and a quercetin supplement may lower the risk of developing certain brain disorders. One of the primary reasons people use quercetin is because it has antihistamine effects.

Is quercetin ok to take daily?

While quercetin is generally recognized as safe, since high doses can damage the kidneys, it’s best to take breaks. You might do a cycle where you take it for a few days and then stop for a few. You could also potentially take it for a couple of weeks and then take a longer break from using it. Periodic breaks, in general, when you’re using supplements, aren’t a bad idea.

What are the side effects from quercetin?

Quercetin is considered safe for most people at recommended doses. Side effects can include nausea or an upset stomach, or a headache. However, very high doses can be damaging to the kidneys. Quercetin does have Generally Recognized As Safe Status for humans, in doses up to a gram a day. There are a few reports of kidney damage at doses of more than a gram per day. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or you have kidney disease, you shouldn’t avoid quercetin.  

What form of quercetin is best?

The best form of quercetin is one that’s liposomal. Above, we included the Thorne Quercetin Phytosome, which falls into that category. A phytosome version of the supplement can help it penetrate your cell membranes. Otherwise, quercetin is not well-absorbed on its own.

What quercetin is best for absorption?

If your biggest concern when choosing a supplement with quercetin is absorption, look for a phytosome product. The Thorne product listed above is a quercetin phytosome. A phytosome combines two words—phyto, which is plant, and liposome, which are tiny fat particles. Liposomes are one of the most effective ways for supplements to be delivered. When a supplement is encased in a liposome, it makes it more bioavailable to help make sure that the quercetin is transported through your gut and into your cells so it can be used.

Which is better, quercetin or quercetin with bromelain?

Quercetin on its own has very powerful anti-inflammatory effects, but when combined with bromelain, it is more potent. Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme, so it helps with the digestion of proteins. It’s used frequently in both traditional and modern medicine. For example, it’s been used for centuries in South and Central America for swelling.

Bromelain can potentially help many conditions associated with inflammation, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

While quercetin on its own is very beneficial, adding bromelain amplifies the benefits.