Quercetin for Autoimmune Diseases
Dr. Ken Kelly, MD
I have been recommending Quercetin to my private patients for several years. My main interest has been for its antidiabetic, COVID-19 (when taken with zinc), antioxidant, anti-Alzheimer’s, anti-arthritic and kidney protective properties. As more research is being published, it is becoming more evident this could be one of the most important natural compounds that the public should be aware of to help prevent and even reverse many disease states. In this article, I will be reviewing the potential uses of Quercetin in Autoimmune diseases. (1) Quercetin is a natural flavonoid that is present in many fruits, vegetables and herbs. If you decide to take quercetin, you may want to also increase natural foods containing quercetin such as onions, red leaf lettuce, asparagus, buckwheat, green peppers, green tea, apples, berries, and red grapes (including red wines). All of these are all good sources of quercetin. (2), (3) Autoimmune diseases are a large group of disorders that are characterized by an immune response that leads to injury patterns in cells, joints and organs. Quercetin has shown to have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect by blocking inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and enzymes such as cyclooxygenase and others. It also has been shown to stabilize the immune response cells called mast cells by blocking their ability to release histamine that causes allergic symptoms. In addition, it has a powerful free radical scavenging effect by neutralizing free radicals (sugar is an example of a free radical) that lead to a wide range of damages to cells, vessels and organs in our body. Diseases that have been shown to benefit from Quercetin:
1. Rheumatoid Arthritis affects extra-articular joints and tissue as well as blood vessels, nervous and gastrointestinal systems, heart, lung and kidneys. Quercetin has been shown to protect against arthritic bone destruction, damage to blood vessels, reverse the nerve damage of a portion of the small intestine called the jejunum and intestinal mucosa.
2. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a generalized group of diseases including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is a chronic, progressive disease that is frequently reoccurring and has an increased risk of colitis associated cancer. Quercetin has been shown to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent but thus far oral quercetin is absorbed prior to reaching the colon. Until they develop a delayed release this does not look like it will have a strong preventative effect for IBD. Rutin is a quercetin containing compound that is found in buckwheat and asparagus. It is believed to get to the colon and the gut bacteria convert it to quercetin where it could improve the inflammatory colitis of IBS. (4)
3. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that leads to destruction of the protective coating of the nerves leading to loss of nerve function such as blindness and focal nerve weakness. Quercetin has been shown to be useful in the treatment of MS by reducing the cytokines and inflammatory mediators.
4. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that commonly affects skin, kidney, joints and other tissues. It is distinguished by its over production of a broad spectrum of autoantibodies. A key part of the over production of the antibodies is due to the over production of follicular Helper T (Tfh) cells. This T cell is felt to contribute to the progression of SLE.
Quercetin has been shown to reduce the symptoms of SLE, reduce the progression of kidney damage. It appears to target the Tfh cells and may enhance the effectiveness of SLE treatment. (5) It has been shown to greatly reduce lupus Nephritis and kidney damage. (6)
5. Graves’ disease is the most common autoimmune disease. It leads to hyperthyroidism and a characteristic clinical finding is the prominence of the eyes with the globes of the eyes protruding that is called exophthalmos . This occurs in 25 – 50% of patients diagnosed with Grave’s disease. The eye complications of Grave’s disease include redness of the whites of the eyes, excessive dryness leading to corneal ulcers and eye muscle entrapment and optic nerve compression threatening vision. (7) Quercetin has been shown to reduce three different processes leading to the eye complications of Grave’s disease, inflammation, accumulation of hyaluronic acid, and fat accumulation and expansion. (8)
6. Atopic Dermatitis (AD) affects millions of children and adults around the world. Half of the patients with AD develop this in childhood. Children with severe AD have 50% risk of developing asthma and 75% develop hay fever. The skin lesions they develop have increased inflammatory cells, such as monocytes, eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells and T helper cells. Quercetin is being shown to reduce inflammatory cytokines and proinflammatory factors in patients with AD. (9) In conclusion, because of the safety profile of Quercetin and the mounting data showing its targeted effects on specific autoimmune diseases, it is an excellent natural compound that should be considered. I recommend you ask your doctor if this compound should be added to your daily regimen.
1. 2021 Jun 23;12:689044. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.689044
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748429/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4425148/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16132362/
5. https://immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-024-00474-9
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26911849/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549889/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3198474/
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135964461630037X
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