Quercetin is a flavonoid found in a variety of foods including apples, berries, Brassica vegetables, capers, grapes, onions, shallots, tea, and tomatoes, as well as many seeds, nuts, flowers, barks and leaves.
So, why are we talking quercetin?
Studies12 show, quercetin is a long-lasting anti-inflammatory possessing strong anti-inflammatory capacities. What does this mean? It has the potential to provide your body with tools to fight free radicals. What are free radicals, you ask? Free radicals are oxygen in the body splitting into a single atom with unpaired electrons, otherwise known as oxidative stress. Electrons want to be in pairs, so as they seek out other electrons, they are bouncing around our bodies damaging cells, proteins, and DNA. Free radicals are associated with human disease, including cancer and Alzheimer’s, but they have also been linked to aging. Christopher Wanjeck, the author of Bad Medicine, has defined aging as a gradual accumulation of free-radical damage.
At Lifted, we believe that your skin is a reflection of what is happening within your body. We understand that you need to fight free radicals both topically, with amazing science-based skincare, as well as internally, with an anti-inflammatory rich diet and supplements. That’s why we suggest including quercetin-rich foods in your diet and looking at all of the options, it should be a pretty simple change.
Let’s simplify
To simplify this as much as possible, oxidative stress causes inflammation in your body as the free radicals damage your healthy cells. Inflammation only goes away after the immune system eliminates the affected cells or repairs the affected tissue. This is where quercetin or any other “anti-inflammatories” come in. They are going to neutralize the production of free radicals.
For recipes rich in quercetin, the ingredient list is long:
- Apples
- Berries
- Brassica vegetables
- Capers
- Grapes
- Onions
- Shallots
- Teas
- Tomatoes
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1 Read M.A. Flavonoids: Naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents. Am. J. Pathol. 1995;147:235–237. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
2 Orsolic N., Knezevic A.H., Sver L., Terzic S., Basic I. Immunomodulatory and antimetastatic action of propolis and related polyphenolic compounds. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004;94:307–315. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.06.006. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
