Even before 2020 there has been a large increase in the consumer demand for health and wellness products. In 2016 dietary supplements in the United States alone made an economic impact of $122 billion dollars.
Vitamins can change a lot of things. Whether it is mood stabilization or hair growth there are hundreds of pills and powders that claim change. This makes finding the right supplement for your desired growth difficult. To help narrow down this endless list Dr.Arnette is starting this blog series on his recommended vitamins and supplements.
This blog has the primary focus of keeping a healthy immune system. More specifically we are talking about the flavonoid Quercetin.
What is Quercetin?
Quercetin is a plant flavonoid that is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains.
Products that are specifically high in quercetinare:
- Berries
- Onions
- Apples
- Green Tea
- Buckwheat
- Red Wine
- Ginko Biloba
- Saint John's Wort
A flavonoid is a plant compound that is found in almost all fruits and vegetables. This compound is responsible for the vivid colors in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids help regulate cellular activity and fight off free radicals that cause oxidative stress on your body.
Quercetin works for your body as a powerful anti-oxidant. Each quercetin chain has four distinct branches ready to turn into water by absorbing oxygen.
By introducing anti-oxidants into your supplementation the body can more effectively protect itself agaisnt everyday toxins and stressors. This is the time to replace negative effectors with positive ones.
The effects of quercetin with zinc
Dr. Arnette recommends taking Zinc with Quercetin. The quercetin acts as an ionophore. Using the previously created channel in the cell membrane allows the zinc ion to be fully absorbed.
Zinc is a mineral element needed to regulate adaptive immune cells' functions. Higher level of intracellular zinc showed to increase intracellular pH which decrease replication mechanism of RNA viruses. Therefore, quercetin used with zinc to act as antiviral supplement against many RNA viruses.
Other Benefits of Quercetin
Including more flavonoids in your diet is a great way to help your body stay healthy and potentially decrease your risk of some chronic health conditions.
A diet high in flavonoids can help in the following ways:
- Manage high blood pressure
- Lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke
- Decrease risk of type II diabetes
- Increase your anti-inflammation response
- Help with anti-oxidation