Quercetin Reduces Heart Disease Risk

DELFT, The NetherlandsQuercetin, a powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound found in tea, fruits and vegetables, boosts cardiovascular health by reducing inflammation and atherosclerosis, according to a new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis.

Population studies indicated that groups who obtain relatively high amounts of quercetin from their diets have low incidences of cardiovascular disease Researchers at The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), investigated the effect of quercetin on cardiovascular risk markers including human C-reactive protein (CRP) and on atherosclerosis using transgenic humanized models of cardiovascular disease.

After evaluating its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in cultured human cells, quercetin (0.1%, w/w in diet) was given to human CRP transgenic mice, a humanized inflammation model, and ApoE*3Leiden transgenic mice, a humanized atherosclerosis model. Sodium salicylate was used as an anti-inflammatory reference.

In cultured human endothelial cells, quercetin protected against H(2)O(2)-induced lipid peroxidation and reduced the cytokine-induced cell-surface expression of VCAM-1 and E-selectin. Quercetin also reduced the transcriptional activity of NFB in human hepatocytes. In human CRP transgenic mice (quercetin plasma concentration: 12.9±1.3M), quercetin quenched IL1-induced CRP expression, as did sodium salicylate. In ApoE*3Leiden mice, quercetin (plasma concentration: 19.3±8.3M) significantly attenuated atherosclerosis by 40% (sodium salicylate by 86%). Quercetin did not affect atherogenic plasma lipids or lipoproteins but it significantly lowered the circulating inflammatory risk factors SAA and fibrinogen. Combined histological and microarray analysis of aortas revealed that quercetin affected vascular cell proliferation thereby reducing atherosclerotic lesion growth. Quercetin also reduced the gene expression of specific factors implicated in local vascular inflammation including IL-1R, Ccl8, IKK, and STAT3.

A 2009 study conducted at the University of South Carolinas Arnold School of Public Health found fatigue-fighting and health properties of quercetin have implications not only for athletes and soldiers whose energy and performance are tested to the extreme, but also for average adults who battle fatigue and stress daily.

The natural, biological properties of quercetin that include powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as the ability to boost the immune system and increase mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in muscle and brain is great news for those who often think that theyre too tired to exercise," said Dr. Mark Davis, the studys lead author and a professor of exercise science. While theres no magic pill to make people get up and move, or to take the place of regular exercise, quercetin may be important in relieving the fatigue that keeps them sedentary and in providing some of the benefits of exercise. We believe that this could be a major breakthrough in nutrition."