Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Quercetin — a hot item and getting hotter

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid chemical found in the rinds and barks of many plants — such as onions, fruit, and St. John's wort — and extracts made from them — such as red wine and green tea. Its anti-oxidant qualities are what first brought it to the attention of the supplement industry, and now it has become a very hot research topic of mainstream medicine. Dozens of new research reports on quercetin are published in research journals every month.

Why is there such interest in this bioflavonoid? Its anti-oxidant properties are only part of the reason. Quercetin has shown beneficial activity against both cancer and cardiovascular disease. And other areas of application are cropping up regularly.

During the past month reports have appeared suggesting the use of quercetin in diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. The experiments were done on rats in which diabetes was induced artificially. Oral administration of quercetin caused a decrease in blood glucose and destructive free radical oxides. It normalized the levels of other antioxidants, normally depleted in diabetics, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin C and vitamin E. Quercetin also reduced the amount of kidney damage experienced by diabetic rats.

Link to research articles:

Quercetin allievates oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Quercetin, an anti-oxidant bioflavonoid, attenuates diabetic nephropathy in rats.

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Osteoporosis is another disease that is getting attention from quercetin researchers. A report this month from France shows that quercetin promotes the growth of bone-producing cells. This makes quercetin a candidate for treating osteoporosis in post-menopausal women who are afraid to use Hormone Replacement Therapy because of recent scare-articles in the mass media.

Link to research article:

Stimulatory effect of naturally occurring flavonols on human osteoblasts

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The omega-3 fatty acid linoleic acid has become a popular supplement mainly because of its proven benefits in preventing heart disease. But this supplement does have a down-side: it promotes the generation of destructive free radical oxides in the arteries. A group of researchers at the University of Kentucky, however, has now shown that quercetin protects the arteries from the effects of these free radicals.

Link to research article:

Quercetin protects against linoleic acid-induced porcine endothelial cell dysfunction.

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Quercetin is a very affordable supplement. LifeLink carries Quercetin in 500 mg capsules.