What is quercetin, and what are its health benefits?
A. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid that is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, belongs to the subclass flavonol. Researchers have identified several potential uses for this bioflavonoid, which include the treatment of atherosclerosis, cataracts, diabetes, hay fever, allergies, high cholesterol, peptic ulcers, and asthma. You should note, however, that most of the research on quercetin is either based on findings from epidemiological, or population, studies or in vitro laboratory studies-experiments that take place in a test tube. Q. What are quercetin’s general uses? A. In supplemental form, quercetin’s primary use is for the relief of allergies and inflammation. In scientific experiments, this bioflavonoid was found to be an effective inhibitor of histamine release from mast cells-the cause of the characteristic allergic reaction. This effect has been observed using animal and human cells in vitro. Quercetin has also been shown to inhibit the pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid metab
