Taking Quercetin during COVID-19
There is overwhelming amount of suggestive information going around regarding how to combat COVID-19.
One of the supplements you may of heard of is quercetin. Although it may be new to you, quercetin has been studied for years and I first wrote about in A Recipe for Life. A yellow colored polyphenol found in plant foods, (red onions, capers, fennel leaves, kale, broccoli, buckwheat, apple skins and green tea), quercetin is a powerful antioxidant and flavonoid (pigment in food that has important health benefits). Amounts in foods vary from 5 to 20 mg. with an average daily consumption of 25 mg. per day.
A study in progress is looking at how quercetin can possibly inhibit the mechanism of one of the key proteins that turns on COVID-19 pathogenesis. Since it is an anti-viral, when quercetin encounters the virus it can slow the infection, giving your body more time to build immunity.
Quercetin is very safe and has a proven track record of anti-viral anti-inflammatory properties. Amounts needed for anti-viral benefits are at least 500-1000 mg. per day and if one has the virus more is needed. Quercetin is also used for those with seasonal allergies in higher amounts.
Although this supplement is not normally required by our bodies, at the present time having this added layer of protection helps our immune systems. And if we do come in contact with the virus we have some immune support on board already.
Drastic times call for extra measures and this is one I’m taking seriously for prevention. AND this is one more way you can protect yourself besides wearing your mask!
*As with all medical advice, it’s good to contact your physician before taking and stay safe.
March 1, 2010 @ 10:13 pm
Hi Susan,
While I am very big believer and fan of your book and dietary advice, I take issue with your stance against wine. There seems to be plenty of compelling evidence that red wine contains properties other than Resveratrol that are beneficial, as long as that consumption is moderate. For example, from the Zutphen Study…
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 28 2007 — Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy. That?s the conclusion of Dutch researchers who reported the findings of their study today at the American Heart Association?s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
When the researchers looked independently at wine consumption, the associated risk reduction was greater. Participants who drank on average half a glass, or 1.5 ounces, of wine per day, over a long period, had a 40 percent lower rate of all-cause death and a 48 percent lower incidence of cardiovascular death, compared to the non-wine drinkers.
Researchers said life expectancy was 3.8 years higher in those men who drank wine compared to those who did not drink alcoholic beverages. Life expectancy of wine users was more than two years longer than users of other alcoholic beverages. Men with a long-term alcohol intake less than or equal to 20 grams per day had a 1.6-year-higher life expectancy, compared to those who consumed no alcohol.
Also, in another study, other components of wine were analyzed that seem to lead to other benefits: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611174052.htm
And The Mayo Clinic also talks about the benefits of moderate wine consumption: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
Thanks, and i do love your blog.
Ray
March 2, 2010 @ 5:05 am
Hi Ray:
Thank you for your comments. This blog was not really speaking to the benefits of red wine – rather to whether you would get the benefit of resveratrol from red wine (and supplements). Yes, many benefits to red wine in certain populations (as with the studies you mention) – more in men than women and more in those without insulin resistance than those with it.
Recommendations and studies all apply to specific situations and individuals so hopefully that will clarify my thoughts. Always appreciate you reading and your kind words.
Best,
Susan