While quercetin may not be quite as well-known as other immune-strengthening ingredients, it is found in many foods. Quercetin is a flavonoid polyphenol compound found in apples, grapes, onions, tea, and various herbs. Quercetin is known to be beneficial due to its antioxidant properties. As well it acts as a free radical scavenger helping to reduce cellular damage. There’s no doubt that a diet rich in quercetin containing foods helps you stay healthy. But when taken as a supplement it becomes a super-powerful natural medicine for enhancing your immune system and fighting viral infections.

Scientific studies show that quercetin is effective for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of viral infections, including upper respiratory tract infections. It packs another wallop by preventing viruses from replicating. It was found to inhibit the replication of rhinovirus, the virus responsible for the common cold, within 24 hours.

Quercetin Protects your Cardiovascular System
Quercetin is a powerful protector of your heart and circulatory system. It protects your cardiovascular system in many important ways. Quercetin reduces high blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and blood lipid levels, and maintains antioxidant levels in the heart’s cells. It also protects the heart from environmental toxins and free radical damage and prevents the hardening of the plaques on the inner walls of the arteries and blood vessels. Another vital action of quercetin is its ability to interfere with the biological pathway that leads to inflammation in the heart and blood vessels.

Quercetin is a powerful protector and healer of your veins. It helps to strengthen the walls of the veins enabling blood to flow smoothly. Quercetin works to completely reduce and prevent blue and swollen varicose veins, as well as spider veins.

Quercetin stabilises mast cells that release histamine, the principal mediator of reactions to pollen and other allergies, making it a natural antihistamine. It is used to treat symptoms of hay fever such as runny nose, watery eyes, and itching, as well as other forms of allergy and hives. Quercetin’s ability to balance inflammatory and immune cytokine activity means it can be a valuable ally in treating autoimmune conditions, too.

Various health benefits of quercetin are:

• Due to its antioxidant properties, quercetin protects against free radicals in the body.
• It relieves hay fever or allergy symptoms as it has anti-histaminic properties as well.
• It may lower blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels.
• Quercetin may help in reducing inflammation.
• It lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases like stroke and other heart ailments.
• It has anti-cancer properties preventing the growth and spread of tumours in the body.
• Quercetin may also help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Zinc is essential for the growth and development of the body and improves immunity. It plays a vital role in several body functions including enhanced wound healing, gene expression, protein and DNA synthesis, and enzymatic reactions which take place within the body. Zinc is also well-known to protect the body from viruses.

Various health benefits of zinc are::

• Zinc is well-known for its ability to strengthen the immune system.
• It facilitates wound healing by playing a significant role in controlling inflammation and collagen synthesis.
• It helps treat acne by reducing swelling, suppressing oil glands, and inhibiting bacterial growth.
• Zinc reduces inflammation by keeping a check on inflammatory proteins and oxidative stress.
• It helps in reducing diarrhoea symptoms in kids who have a zinc deficiency.
• It lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
• Zinc also prevents skin conditions like sunburn and diaper rash in babies.

Quercetin is an ionophore (An ionophore is a compound that can transport ions like zinc across biological cell membranes). Quercetin is responsible for carrying zinc across the cell wall from the outside of the cell to the inside. For zinc to exhibit its anti-viral effects, it is vital that it reaches the centre of a cell where viruses replicate. As the cell wall barrier does not allow zinc ions to enter the cell easily, it requires the help of ionophores like quercetin to cross that barrier and work against the virus.

A study published in 2016 was conducted to check if polyphenols like quercetin can form complexes with zinc and transport it across the cell wall barrier. The results confirmed that quercetin can, indeed, bind to zinc to form complexes that easily pass through any lipid membrane.

As an anti-viral, the major benefit of taking quercetin with zinc is that quercetin will push zinc into the centre of the cell where the zinc can stop the virus from reproducing. The benefits of zinc supplementation along with zinc ionophores like quercetin to prevent and treat COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections are supported by countless studies.

When considering a quercetin and zinc supplement, it is also important to choose a product that will be well absorbed. The best way to ensure optimal absorption is to take a supplement that has a liposomal delivery system. When the active ingredients in a liposomal form are transported with the protective lipid encapsulation, they have greatly enhanced bioavailability and increased absorption. This means that your cells receive more of the essential nutrition that they need!

Liposomal Quercetin and Zinc

The powerful antioxidant, immune-enhancing abilities and anti-viral effects of the dynamic duo of liposomal quercetin and zinc, truly make them the superheroes of these times. And since quercetin and zinc are safe and time-tested dietary supplements, they should be considered an essential part of everyone’s nutritional supplementation program. Who doesn’t want superheroes looking after them!