This Antioxidant Might Reverse Alzheimer’s

It might seem crazy to think that a possible reversal to Alzheimer’s can be naturally found in nature and yet, evidence suggests that quercetin, an antioxidant present in a wide arrange of foods has a wide range of health benefits.

Quercetin is a naturally occurring pigment that is part of a group of plant compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids, in general, can appear in an array of foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains, and other plants. Tea and Wine are also known to have flavonoids.

There are many health benefits that have been linked to the consumption of foods reach in Quercetin. These health benefits have been observed in multiple studies and they range from reducing the risk of heart diseases, boosting the immune system, fighting inflammation, and reducing the effects of degenerative brain disorders.

All of these effects that Quercetin can have on the body stem from its abilities as an antioxidant.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are compounds that have been known to be able to neutralize free radicals, that is unstable molecules that can damage the body on a cellular level if their number becomes too high. Free radicals have been linked with numerous different chronic diseases and illnesses including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Quercetin’s antioxidant properties can help reduce the number of free radicals in the body. As Quercetin is considered to be the most abundant flavonoid it is extremely easy for people to consume high levels of it daily without even realizing it. In fact, according to current estimations, the average person would consume around 10 to 100mg of Quercetin every day.

This consumption is through natural consumption alone and it does not include the fact that dietary supplements for Quercetin are also widely available.

What are the benefits of Quercetin?

The main health benefits of quercetin include:

1. Reduction of inflammation

Free radicals have been shown to have the ability to activate those genes that promote inflammation. Having a high number of free radicals in your body could lead to you suffering from unnecessary inflammation. As an antioxidant, Quercetin has been shown to reduce the inflammation markers in human cells. This in part will be because it can immobilize and neutralize the free radicals in one’s body.

2. Allergy symptom relief

There are some studies that suggest that Quercetin has the ability to block enzymes that lead to inflammation as well as reduce the levels of inflammation-promoting chemicals. One such chemical would be histamine. If that is indeed true, Quercetin could potentially have the ability to provide some allergy symptom relief to those suffering from long-term allergies.

3. Reduction of the effects of aging

According to some animal and test-tube studies, it is suggested that Quercetin may have the ability to rejuvenate aging cells. Those same studies have also shown an overall reduction in aging cells and the markers of aging. However, there have so far been no studies on this conducted on humans. As such, it is unclear whether these effects would also extend to us.

4. Reduction of blood pressure

High blood pressure can lead to increased risks for heart disease. So far research suggests that quercetin may have the ability to reduce a person’s blood pressure because of its relaxing effect on blood vessels.

A review of 9 human studies showed that a quercetin supplement of 500mg could also reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. While further research is still needed, the evidence we currently have are promising in this regard.

5. Reduction of blood sugar control

Quercetin’s positive effects could also extend to better blood sugar control. This is because the compound has been shown to have an effect on the reduction of fasting blood sugar levels. If this is tested further it may even be shown that quercetin could be used by those suffering from diabetes by reducing the risks.

6. Potential Anticancer effect

The vast antioxidant properties of Quercetin have also been linked to cancer-fighting properties. While so far, all studies on this topic have either been test-tube or animal studies the evidence is promising. In some of these, it has been shown that quercetin can suppress cell growth and even cause cell death in some cancerous cells.

Before Quercetin can be suggested within the treatment plan of cancer patients there will need to be a lot more research on humans to show that there are clear benefits.

7. Reduction of risks of chronic brain disorders

Perhaps some of the most exciting studies relating to Quercetin have to do with its potential and antioxidant properties in relation to the protection of chronic brain disorders. A few different animal studies have shown that Quercetin has a positive effect on reversing some of the early markers of Alzheimer’s. However, studies dealing with the middle-late stages of Alzheimer’s have shown that the effects of Quercetin are greatly reduced and, in some cases, the compound has no effect on markers of Alzheimer’s.

Further studies on humans will be needed to determine the exact effects of the compound on the disease.

Conclusion:

Quercetin is a powerful compound with strong antioxidant properties that could potentially be proven to have many positive effects on the human body. These could range from promoting overall health to reducing inflammation and even reducing early Alzheimer’s markers. Further research will show the true extent of the power of this compound.