Quercetin's "neuroprotective properties" impact nervous system regeneration and functional recovery

There’s a reason why quercetin has become a popular supplement.

Research shows that quercetin, a plant flavonoid, has a variety of functions, including:

Promoting cardiovascular health

Protecting cognitive function

Improving metabolic health

Helping the body clear dysfunctional senescent cells

Standard, or unformulated, quercetin has a relatively low bioavailability. This means that after consumption, only a very small amount of quercetin enters the bloodstream and cells.

In recent years, scientists have developed a variety of methods to increase the bioavailability of quercetin.

In a new advance, scientists have created an innovative method to further increase the bioavailability of quercetin.

In a human study, a new quercetin formulation was shown to increase total bioavailability by 62 times compared to unformulated quercetin.

This new formulation also provides 18 times more bioactive free quercetin than unformulated quercetin.

Many people take quercetin for its potential to improve health and extend lifespan. Unformulated quercetin has poor bioavailability.

A new formulation protects quercetin in the gut. This substantially increases how much bioavailable quercetin is absorbed and how long it stays in the body.

In addition, the new formulation boosts blood concentrations of bioactive free quercetin over unformulated quercetin and previously available forms.

A better quercetin

For many people, there’s a barrier to getting the full benefits of quercetin: poor bioavailability of standard quercetin.

Much of what’s ingested doesn’t make it into the bloodstream and cells to do what it’s supposed to do.

A randomized, placebo-controlled study has found new heights in quercetin bioavailability.

In a clinical trial, healthy adults received either unformulated quercetin or a new quercetin with nettle extract formulation. With the new formula, the bioavailability of quercetin is 62 times higher than unformulated quercetin.

In addition, peak concentrations of quercetin in the blood are higher and the half-life is more than doubled. This means more quercetin enters the bloodstream and stays there longer, giving it time to be absorbed by tissues and cells to exert its benefits.

Quercetin hydrogel not only increases the total amount of quercetin absorbed, but also increases the amount of free quercetin in the blood.

The Importance of Free Quercetin

When quercetin is absorbed by the body, much of it is chemically bound (conjugated) to other compounds.

The bound form of quercetin has some health benefits, but increasing the amount of free quercetin that is not bound to other compounds may provide additional benefits.

Animal studies have shown this. In one study, scientists gave quercetin to two groups of rats with high blood pressure. Through experimental manipulation, they were able to ensure that one group of rats had more free quercetin in their bodies than the other group.

The group that didn't get free quercetin showed no significant change in blood pressure, while the group that got more free quercetin had an average blood pressure drop of nearly 30%.

This suggests that the presence of free quercetin in the body may be critical for some of the health benefits. This may be because free quercetin can cross cell membranes more easily than the bound form to enter cells.

Unformulated quercetin produces relatively low levels of free quercetin in the blood, which may limit its effectiveness.

This new form of powdered quercetin changes all that. It’s the first formula to show significantly higher levels of free quercetin in the blood, and is approximately 18 times more potent than unformulated quercetin.

Maximizing the Power of Quercetin

Many studies have shown quercetin to have a wide range of health benefits and potential to extend lifespan.

Unformulated quercetin has low bioavailability. After consumption, only a small amount of quercetin makes it into the bloodstream.

Scientists have developed a new quercetin formula that is much more bioavailable than any previous formula.

Quercetin is protected by a delivery system that allows it to reach higher blood concentrations and stay in the blood longer. This new form also increases the amount of bioactive free quercetin compared to unformulated quercetin.

These changes may finally allow quercetin to reach its full potential.

 Benefits of Quercetin

Flavonoids are compounds found in many fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Diets rich in flavonoids have been associated with health benefits, reduced risk of several age-related chronic diseases, and lower mortality.

Quercetin is one of the most abundant flavonoids in plant foods, including onions, kale, broccoli, and apples.

Hundreds of cell, animal, and human studies on quercetin have shown a range of benefits, including:

Anti-inflammatory effects

Antibacterial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses

Anticancer properties

Antidiabetic effects

Metabolic improvements, including lowering blood pressure, anti-obesity effects, and improved lipid profiles

Protecting vascular health, including anti-atherosclerotic activity

Neuroprotective effects, including protecting the brain from cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease

Protecting the heart, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A meta-analysis of human trials found that daily intake of quercetin significantly reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic blood pressure in people with metabolic disease and hypertension.

A meta-analysis of human trials also found that taking quercetin for at least eight weeks improved lipid profiles in people with metabolic disease or obesity, raising levels of protective HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) and lowering triglyceride levels.

Another study found that quercetin reduced total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and C-reactive protein (a marker of systemic inflammation) in people with metabolic disease.

Currently, clinical trials of quercetin for a variety of conditions are underway. As of the time of this article’s publication, the National Institutes of Health website (clinicaltrials.gov) lists 54 human trials of quercetin in the United States alone.