Quercetin: The Anti-Cancer Flavonoid

I first heard of this flavonoid from one of my heroes Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D.

Blaylock is a recently retired board-certified neurosurgeon and one of the rare M.D.’s out there that has also devoted his time to become an expert on natural therapies despite criticism from the medical community at large.

His book Natural Strategies For Cancer Patients is a in-depth study of the specific nutrients within foods that strengthen your immune system and help your body fight cancer on a cellular level.

He also addresses what supplements to take that can minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation if someone were to go that route.  Natural Strategies was a great read and I learned a lot.  Highly recommended.  It’s is also a really good book to give to anyone with cancer.  The fact that he is an M.D. lends a lot of credibility to his research and message.

Alright enough about Dr. Blaylock, The super flavonoid I’m talking about is called…

Quercetin (pronounced kwɜrsɨtɨn).

If you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry, you’re normal.  But before I go any further I should admit something, I exaggerated a little bit in the title of this post.  Quercetin actually has a rival for most powerful flavonoid, and that is Curcumin, the active ingredient in Tumeric,which is the main ingredient in curry powder.  Together, Quercetin and Curcumin are the dynamic duo of anti-cancer flavonoids.

Here are some fun facts about quercetin according to the research that Dr. Blaylock has assembled:

Quercetin protects the DNA in cells because collects around the nucleus of cells offering powerful anti-oxidant protection.

It has anti-inflammatory properties.  Which is good, because inflammation is bad.

It’s also a powerful natural histamine blocker. I don’t really have allergies, but some folks with allergies and sinus issues swear by it.

Here’s another big benefit.  Quercetin binds to excess iron in your body, removes it from tissues, and prevents its absorption.  This process is called chelation. This is critical asiron can be a key ingredient in cancer cell growth. Quercetin has the ability to steal the iron from cancer cells which can stop their growth and induce cell death.  Even if you don’t have cancer, it’s always good practice to eat green vegetables with meat to limit the amount of iron your body absorbs. Yes you need iron, but too much iron is bad for you. FYI: Red meat is the highest source of iron.

Check this out:

A 2007 study called “Ten-Year Comparison of the Influence of Organic and Conventional Crop Management Practices on the Content of Flavonoids in Tomatoes” published in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than the conventionally grown ones.

If that doesn’t convince you that buying organic is better…then you just crazy.

As I’ve said in previous posts, conventional produce has been cross-bred and is engineered to be big and beautiful, but it is nutrient deficient and loaded with toxic fertilizers and pesticides.  Some conventional produce is genetically modified (GMO), but they aren’t required to disclose that to us yet; and there’s no way to tell.  The most common GMO foods are Soy (93%), Corn (86%), Canola (75%), and commercial milk which contains rBGH, a genetically modified hormone to increase milk production.  Avoid these foods like the plague!

Ok so where else can you get quercetin besides organic tomatoes?

The best sources of quercetin are organic: apples, red onions, black and green tea, red grapes, raspberries, cranberries, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables.

I eat all those foods often but I also take Quercetin in supplement form.  Blaylock’s recommended dose is 1000mg, 3 times per day with meals. If you’re taking it for allergies you may want to take more. And from what I understand it may take a few weeks before you notice any improvement.

One of the brands Blaylock references is Activated Quercetin by Source Naturals.
I also like the Source Naturals Liquid Quercetin

And definitely, definitely, definitely get this book:

Natural Strategies For Cancer Patients by Russell Blaylock, M.D.

(((c)))