Quercetin Reduces the Symptoms of Asthma

Quercetin has long been used as a potent natural anti-allergen, as it helps to stabilize the histamine-containing mast cells.  New research is showing that quercetin does this by modifying inflammatory signals at the gene level.  Inflammatory signals such as TNFa Cytokine involved with systemic inflammation and regulation of immune cells. It is able to induce cell death, and inhibits tumorigenesis and viral replication. When dysfunctional it is associated with a number of disease processes., IL6, and NF kappaB were all reduced by quercetin.  Problems such as asthma typically have elevations of these inflammatory markers.

Quercetin is high in apples, and to a lesser amount in many fresh fruits.  One new study showed that children who ate more apples as well as fresh fruit (2 servings per day) had fewer symptoms of asthma or sinus allergy.  Another study showed that mothers who ate apples during pregnancy had children with fewer symptoms of asthma.