Donations For the Cause

Friday, February 12, 2010

Quercetin.....rev up those engines!

I’d like to begin this issue with a big thank you to everyone who has written or called or spoken to me in person about this blog.  It was my new year’s resolution to do something selfless for someone every day, and your positive reinforcement has only fueled my drive to supply my friends out there with quality information to make their lives better, longer and of greater quality…that being said, let’s get to the good stuff!
Well, what is the word of the day? Quercetin, that’s right…let’s say it one more time Quercetin! It is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and has been sold as a dietary supplement for years but as of late this dietary supplement has gained new buzz because of it’s use in Lance Armstrong’s new supper energy supplement product FRS, you’ve probably seen a commercial for it the last few months, but your about to see more…. let’s break it down!

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid (a bioflav. Is a fancy term for the color of a pigment in fruit that is very health for you!) Quercetin is a natural antioxidant found mainly in red wine grapefruit, onions, apples and black tea.
Quercetin protects cells in the body from damage by free radicals. Quercetin might help protect against heart attacks as well as strokes.
Quercetin may also help prevent immune cells from releasing histamine, the chemical that initiates the itching, sneezing, and swelling of an allergic reaction. Thus, quercetin is often recommended as a treatment for allergies such as hay fever, hives, eczema and asthma.
My personal experience has in fact been very positive. I have always been allergic to dust and really been affected by cats…. little fuckers.  I’ve taken Quercetin mixed with vitamin C, (it makes it more bio-available) and I haven’t had a scratchy throat when cleaning my apt. and I slept in the same bed as my brother cat, Stephen, and felt only a mild sniffle, where as in the past I would have been d-y-i-n-g.  Please note as always, while I have played a medical doctor onstage, (see resume- www.freddiekimmel.com) in real life, I am not one, and my recommendations are purely that…recommendations. But, I will say… I love it.  Also I have noticed an addition endurance factor at the gym and in dance class.  Hence I give it four stars out of four! Here’s some data to back up the hype pigglet’s! 

BENEFITS OF QUERCETIN; RESEARCH FINDS

ALLERGY -Asthma incidence was lower at higher quercetin intakes. The flavanoid quercetin addresses the inflammatory component of asthma. Studies have shown that quercetin prevents certain immune cells from releasing histamine. Histamine is a chemical that triggers an allergic reaction. [1-4]  

INFLAMMATION -One small double blind, placebo-controlled study has found preliminary evidence that quercetin might help prostatitis, an inflammation or infection of the prostate gland. Another small double-blind placebo-controlled trial showed quercetin
Supplementation reduced symptoms of interstitial cystitis [6]

ENDURANCE- a study by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health shows the powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound found in fruits and vegetables significantly boosts endurance capacity and maximal oxygen capacity (VO2max) in healthy, active but untrained men and women. (For the study, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense, 12 participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Half were given 500 mg of quercetin twice a day in Tang for seven days. The other subjects drank Tang with placebos. After the seven days of treatment, during which the subjects were told not to alter their physical activity, the participants rode stationary bicycles to the point of fatigue.
Researchers also tested their additional VO2max, one of the most important measures of fitness. Then the participants received the opposite treatment for another seven days before riding the bicycle to the point of fatigue and VO2max tests. Neither the participants nor the research staff knew who received the quercetin Tang or the placebo Tang, and all subjects took part in the quercetin and placebo treatments.
“The participants were healthy, relatively active, college-age students, but they were not physically trained athletes, and they were not taking part in a regular exercise training program,” he said.
The results: After taking quercetin for only seven days, the participants had a 13.2 percent increase in endurance and a 3.9 percent increase in VO2max.)
This is why I so recommend trying this, especially for dancers…. and it’s very cheap…in it’s pure form!

Dosing/ Instructions
General supplementation for adults is 100 to 250 mg three times per day. I personally take 500 mg 2 times a day in  capsule form, also I take a brand that includes vitamin C, and like I said before, it just helps your body absorb the supplement better!

Live long and prosper!