Posted on 05/25/2023 8:54:14 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Eating plant-based foods that contain dietary compounds called flavonols can lower your chances of developing frailty.
Foods like apples and blackberries that contain flavonoids called quercetin may be the most important for frailty prevention.
Approximately 10% to 15% of older adults experience frailty, a geriatric syndrome that leads to a greater risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and mortality.
"There may be some validity to the old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor (or frailty) away," said the authors. "Our findings suggest that for every 10 mg higher intake of flavonols per day, the odds of frailty were reduced by 20%. Individuals can easily consume 10 mg of flavonols intake per day since one medium sized apple has about 10 mg of flavonols."
"Although there was no significant association between total flavonoid intake and frailty, higher flavonols intake (one of the subclasses of flavonoids) was associated with lower odds of developing frailty. Specifically, higher quercetin intake was the flavonoid that had the strongest association with frailty prevention," said co-author Shivani Sahni, Ph.D.
The authors suggest that future research should focus on dietary interventions of flavonols or quercetin for the treatment of frailty. Research is also needed in racially and ethnically diverse participants.
This study utilizes data from the Framingham Heart Study—Offspring Cohort to determine the association between flavonoid intake and frailty onset. There were 1,701 individuals included in this analysis. All were free of frailty at baseline and followed from ~12 years to evaluate frailty status (evaluated by the Fried Frailty Phenotype). After ~12 years, 13.2% of the participants developed frailty. Total flavonoids intake was not significantly associated with frailty onset. However, flavonols intake (a type of flavonoid, in particular quercetin) was associated with lower odds of frailty onset.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I take 500mg of Quercetin daily.
Quercetin is what was recommended to be taken with Zinc.
I’ve been buying frozen raspberries and strawberries. Hope they do the same thing. Guess I have to google a bit.
1 to 2 HoneyCrisp apples a day for me. I miss Ida Reds though.😋
I eat an apple daily in my Meusli at breakfast along with 1/4 cup of blueberries. At lunch I eat 1/4 cup of strawberries, 1/4 cup of raspberries, and 1/4 cup of blueberries with 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. I keep the 1/4 cup measuring cup busy. :-)
They are fine.
I hope the same as you ‘cause I get the frozen blueberries. Plump and delicious in cereal.
Healthy Foods High in Quercetin
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on November 23, 2022
Why You Need Quercetin Foods with Quercetin
Quercetin is a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables. It’s found mainly in the skins and leaves of plants. Light stimulates the production of quercetin, so an apple at the top of a tree may have more quercetin than one that doesn’t get direct sunlight.
Quercetin may be referred to as a phytochemical, polyphenol, or flavonoid. Phytochemicals are substances produced by plants that may have health benefits for humans. Polyphenols and flavonoids are types of phytochemicals.
Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free radicals, which are molecules that contain unpaired electrons. Because electrons naturally want to pair up, free radicals roam around the body, pulling electrons away from other molecules. This process can damage cells and DNA. Quercetin “cleans up” free radicals by pairing with their single electrons so they can no longer cause damage.
Dietary intakes of quercetin in the U.S. have been reported to be around 6-18 milligrams (mg) per day. However, if you’re eating several servings of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, you’re likely consuming much more quercetin.
Why You Need Quercetin
Research shows that quercetin has many health benefits, including:
Heart Health
Quercetin has been shown to support the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and relaxing blood vessels. Because reduced blood flow can cause erectile dysfunction, flavonoids like quercetin can also improve men’s sexual health.
Brain Health
Improved circulation improves brain health as well. But quercetin can protect the brain in other ways, too. It may reduce inflammation and protect brain cells from toxins. Its antioxidant powers could lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative diseases of the brain.
Anti-Cancer Effects
When free radicals damage cells in the body, those cells sometimes develop into cancer. Quercetin and other antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer by combating free radicals. A few studies have targeted quercetin particularly. In one, it slowed tumor growth. In another, it lowered the risk of lung cancer. The third was a lab study, which found that quercetin had the ability to attack leukemia cells.
Foods with Quercetin
Quercetin is one of the most common flavonoids, and is present in many foods. It also appears in red wine, black tea, and green tea. When you get your quercetin from fruits and vegetables, you reap the other benefits of those foods. You also increase your intake of fiber, which is lacking in the standard American diet.
Quercetin is available as a supplement, often with a recommended dose of 500-1,000 mg per day. It’s considered safe to use, but may interact with several medications, including antibiotics and blood thinners. Doses over one gram may damage the kidneys.
There’s no recommended daily allowance for quercetin, but these commonly eaten foods are good sources of it:
1. Onions
All onions contain quercetin, but since it’s a pigment, red and yellow onions contain the most. To keep the quercetin, peel off as little as possible of the outer layers. Onions contain many other vitamins and minerals, and they are especially rich in the vitamin biotin.
2. Kale
Kale has a well-deserved reputation as a nutritional powerhouse. Besides quercetin, it’s also a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Half a cup contains only 18 calories.
3. Cherry tomatoes
All tomatoes are good sources of quercetin. Cherry tomatoes are the best because they have the highest ratio of skin to flesh. They make a great low-calorie snack, with only 37 calories per dozen.
4. Broccoli
Along with quercetin, broccoli is rich in vitamin K and vitamin C. It also contains another flavonoid, kaempferol, that offers potent antioxidant capabilities. A one-cup serving provides 5 grams of fiber.
5. Blueberries
Blueberries are antioxidant superstars. On top of quercetin, they contain 17 different phytochemicals including resveratrol, the antioxidant best known for appearing in red wine.
6. Apples
Apples contain four different phytochemicals along with the beneficial fiber known as pectin. To get the benefits of quercetin, eat your apples unpeeled. Apple juice doesn’t provide the same benefits as the whole fruit.
Fruits and vegetables are the primary dietary sources of quercetin, particularly citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, sage, tea, and red wine. Olive oil, grapes, dark cherries, and dark berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and bilberries are also high in quercetin and other flavonoids.
Quercetin, not caffeine, is a major neuroprotective component in coffee
My first cup of coffee every morning I put in one tablespoon of Hersheys 100% unsweetened cacao powder and about 10 dark chocolate chips 72% cocoa. Just one cup, as two tablespoons of cocoa powder a day is the limit for most adults, and dark chocolate has calories.
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/3/834/4687222#
More Antioxidants in Cocoa
Rein and colleagues (1) reported that cocoa might contribute to the plasma total antioxidant capacity because of its high content of flavan-3-ols (epicatechin). The consumption of cocoa by the Dutch population is relatively high compared with that of other groups, and it has been considered to be an important source of flavonoids (epicatechin) (2). However, other phenolic compounds, although present in lower concentrations, may also be very important because of their high antioxidant activity. Therefore, the role of these phenolic compounds in human health should be carefully studied.
In addition to epicatechin, cocoa appears to be an important source of other dietary polyphenols, including catechin and quercetin. The flavonol quercetin is mainly present in fruits and vegetables, although apples and onions constitute the main sources of this compound.
Cocoa powder extract is a potent antioxidant that protects the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol particle from becoming atherogenic by preventing it from becoming oxidatively modified (3). In fact, quercetin has been shown to be one of the most effective polyphenols in protection of LDL from modification (4, 5). Eberhardt and colleagues (6) recently showed that extracts from the whole apple reduced the proliferation of tumor cells significantly more than extracts from apples without skins. It appears that the major polyphenols present in apple skin include the flavonol glycosides, which are good antioxidants and appear to be responsible for the observed antitumor effects (6).
Until now, the antioxidant capacity of cocoa has been attributed only to the epicatechin content. However, quercetin compounds might also be important contributors to the total polyphenols present in cocoa and convey potential health benefits. Our group has identified and quantified three flavonols, isoquercitrin, quercetin 3-glucuronide and quercetin, in cocoa powder using HPLC-DAD coupled with HPLC-MS. The major flavonols in cocoa are isoquercitrin (23 mg/100 g), quercetin 3-glucuronide (5 mg/100 g) and quercetin (2 mg/100 g). In general, cocoa powder contains 30 mg flavonols/100 g. The work by de Whalley and colleagues (7) demonstrates that quercetin is the most effective flavonoid for the preservation of endogenous α-tocopherol in LDL cholesterol. Thus, we believe these compounds (flavonols) should be included in future studies.
So the old addage “an apple a day keeps the Doctor away” works!
I have been taking quercetin for fifty years, ever since it was said it attacked hardening of the arteries, which was an historic problem in my family. I don’t know about the arteries, but its benefits just keep increasing.
In the morning I use 3g matcha powder with 2.7g cacoa powder, 1.5g turmeric powder, and .4g each of ginger and cinnamon. Lately I’ve added 1.5g maca powder. I’d like to increase the ginger, but can’t tolerate the taste. Later I’ll eat some 85% chocolate bars from Aldi.
I eat a couple apples a day. But its more of an addiction than anything. I crave the sugar in them. I know that because I’ve been able to weed out the sugar in most of the food that I eat. the only exception is apples.
Yeah, those foods are also loaded with fructose. So if “flavonoid” polyphenol dies were good for you then you would be eating the poison with a flawed antidote. Then add that many people are allergic to polyphenols.
I usually do the cocoa powder and dark chips in first cup of coffee (decaf for me), and later in evening I usually eat 2 squares of 85% Ghirardelli’s. Usually eat an apple a day and at least one cup of green tea with a teaspoon of Raw Natural Nature Nate’s Honey. Usually have 4 different berries in my Grain Berry Bran cereal or I have Oatmeal with cinnamon. Lots of Dannon Oikos vanilla yogurt (I’m addicted), rotisserie chicken with skin off, radishes, carrots, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower in abundance, 1/4 cup of mixed pecans, almonds and walnuts a day. I use 15 grain bread usually with peanut butter, sometimes jelly just because it’s so good, and if I’m good all day I have 3 or 4 fat free fig newtons as a reward.
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