Quercetin – A Potent Sinus and Cell Antioxidant

Quercetin has long been regarded as the single best natural anti-histamine nutrient, and is widely used during the allergy season to help out with problems.  A number of new studies continue to highlight quercetin’s powerful antioxidant activity.

In the first study sinus mucosal cells¹ were used from patients going in for sinus surgery.  The sinus tissue samples were cultured and incubated with Quercetin, and then exposed to oxidative damage that causes DNA damage.  Quercetin was able to significantly reduce DNA damage in sinus cells following experimentally induced oxidative stress at all levels tested. 

Another study exposed nerve cells to amyloid beta-peptide, a compound elevated in Alzheimer’s disease² and highly reflective of oxidative damage to nerve cells.  Cells treated with quercetin were protected from the toxicity of amyloid beta-peptide.  The authors concluded by saying, “These findings provide motivation to test the hypothesis that quercetin may provide a promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and other oxidative-stress-related neurodegenerative diseases.”

Another quercetin cell experiment³ used Jurkat cells, a special T lymphocyte cell line that scientists study to help understand cancer.  The experiment found that these Jurkat cells rapidly took up quercetin, resulting in a reduction deactivation of the highly damaging peroxynitrite free radical.  Quercetin was also directly taken up in the mitochondria Organelle found in cells that produce ATP or chemical energy. Also involved with cell signaling, cellular differentiation, cell death, cell growth, along with heme and steroid synthesis. of the cell (energy producing engines), directly protecting the cell from mitochondrial damage. 

Collectively, these three studies demonstrate powerful and versatile antioxidant protection by quercetin, preventing cell damage and assisting health survival of cells.