Photo by Wolfgang Tillmans
How the heck do you even say that and what is it? It’s pronounced kwer-se-ten and it is one of those great plant compounds called flavonoids. Quercetin is found in fruits and vegetables, notably apples and onions. This compound, technically a flavonol, in the bigger category of flavonoids, has been reported to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune modulating, antibacterial and antiviral… which may get your attention right now.
In COVID-19 the SARS-coV2 virus binds to many sites in the lung, but one of these is called the ACE2 receptor. These receptors are not exclusive to the lung, but due to this recent viral threat, let's think specifically about this location. In a recent pre-clinical laboratory study, quercetin has been shown to bind to these ACE2 receptor sites. Potentially if this site is blocked with these great plant compounds, then this might just prevent that virus from gaining entry into your cells and hijacking them in the quest to reproduce and make you ill. Anytime less virus enters our system, our innate immunity has a better chance of stopping things before they actually start.
Quercetin is also a zinc chelator. This means that it binds the zinc in your body and helps move it into the cell. Zinc has been shown to actually inhibit viral replication. Less virus in your body, and again the better chance your immune system has in the fight. You may have heard about the potential benefits of adequate zinc related to COVID-19.
Overall, there are some great studies that show direct correlation between increasing dietary intake of flavonoids and an increased chance of aging without chronic diseases. One study shows an increasingly protective effect with the number of servings of apples/pears consumed weekly and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Five servings a week decreased the risk by almost 20 percent! Other studies show improvement in cardiovascular health, healthier moods, improved thinking as we age and even less cancer risk.
So does an apple a day keep the doctor away? I suspect the original author of this ancient Welsh proverb didn’t know exactly why people who ate their fruits and veggies seemed to not visit a physician as often. But now we have some science that tells us some of the reasons why this might be. And western medicine loves to know the how, what, and why!
So go eat that apple and benefit from quercetin and its natural antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Make it organic since now conventional apples are loaded with pesticides and rank #5 on the Dirty Dozen list. And if you aren’t acquainted with this list head over to https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen and take a look.
by Dr. Colleen Fuller