Quercetin — An Great Alternative to Hydroxychloroquine

• Quercetin works much like hydroxychloroquine, a drug found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 when used early enough. Both are zinc ionophores, meaning they shuttle antiviral zinc into your cells.
• The Front Line Critical COVID-19 Care Alliance’s early treatment protocol includes quercetin at a dose of 250 milligrams twice a day, in combination with 100 mg elemental zinc and 500 mg to 1,000 mg of vitamin C twice a day.
• Quercetin also has other mechanisms of action that make it useful in the fight against COVID-19. For example, it may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to ACE2 receptor docking. By binding to the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein interface, quercetin inhibits viral attachment and entry into the cell.
• Quercetin also modulates NLRP3 inflammasome, an immune system component involved in the uncontrolled release of proinflammatory cytokines that occurs during a cytokine storm.
• Quercetin-rich foods include onions and shallots, apples, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currants and green tea.

Part 1² begins with a brief overview of what quercetin is and its basic mechanisms of action. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as onions and shallots, apples, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currants and green tea.

The quercetin content in any given food is largely dependent on light exposure, though, so depending on the country you’re in, different foods will top the list of most quercetin-rich. General mechanisms of action of this nutrient include:³

Quercetin Against SARS-CoV-2

In Part 2⁴ of the anthology, Modern Discontent reviews the evidence behind the recommendation to use quercetin against COVID-19 specifically. As mentioned, zinc has antiviral activity, and quercetin helps shuttle the zinc into the cell. But quercetin also has other mechanisms of action that make it useful in the fight against COVID-19.

For example, quercetin has been shown to:

The Front Line Critical COVID-19 Care Alliance (FLCCC) early treatment protocol²⁵ includes quercetin at a dose of 250 milligrams twice a day, in combination with 100 mg elemental zinc and 500 mg to 1,000 mg of vitamin C twice a day.

Quercetin in COVID-19 Medical Literature

In Part 3,²⁶ Modern Discontent reviews some of the clinical trials that have taken place. One COVID-19-specific study²⁷ found that people who took zinc and two zinc ionophores — quinine drops and quercetin — had lower incidence of COVID-19 than the control group. Over the course of the study (20 weeks), only two of the 53 test subjects became symptomatic, compared to 12 of the 60 controls. As noted by Modern Discontent:²⁸

“Although this didn’t test quercetin in isolation, the study does suggest that over-the-counter, easily accessible compounds may be extremely beneficial in fighting against COVID, especially when taken as a prophylactic.”

In another trial,²⁹ 76 outpatients who tested positive but had only mild symptoms were given 1,000 mg of Quercetin Phytosome® (quercetin in sunflower phospholipids that increase oral absorption 20-fold) per day for 30 days, in addition to standard care (analgesics, oral steroids and antibiotics). Another 76 patients were given standard of care only.

In the quercetin group, only 9.2% of participants went on to require hospitalization, compared to 28.9% of patients who received standard of care only. According to the authors:³⁰

“The results revealed a reduction in frequency and length of hospitalization, in need of non-invasive oxygen therapy, in progression to intensive care units and in number of deaths.

The results also confirmed the very high safety profile of quercetin and suggested possible anti-fatigue and pro-appetite properties. QP [Quercetin Phytosome®] is a safe agent and in combination with standard care, when used in early stage of viral infection, could aid in improving the early symptoms and help in preventing the severity of COVID-19 disease.”

Quercetin was also featured in two scientific reviews published in 2020.³¹ The first, published in in the Integrative Medicine journal in May 2020,³² highlighted quercetin’s promotion of SIRT2, which inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome.

The second review article,³³ published in the June 19, 2020, issue of Frontiers in Immunology, highlighted quercetin’s usefulness as a COVID-19 treatment when used in conjunction with vitamin C. The vitamin C recycles oxidized quercetin, producing a synergistic effect. It also enhances quercetin’s antiviral capacity.

Food as Medicine

With the advent of processed foods, many important nutrients have been lost or minimized in the average person’s diet. Quercetin, being found in fresh fruits, vegetables and berries is one of them. Unfortunately, while essential vitamins and minerals are generally recognized for their importance, antioxidants such as quercetin are often overlooked, and sometimes labeled as “pseudoscience” or “fad” supplements. As noted by Modern Discontent:

“The great number of benefits that these compounds contribute to humans cannot be overstated … An argument can be made that not only could quercetin prove beneficial to our health, but an absence of it may prove detrimental in the long term.”

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of basic health and a healthy immune function. In this regard, a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables can go a long way. Nutritional supplements also have their place, especially in situations like a pandemic.

Summary

In conclusion, Modern Discontent provides the following summary of findings:³⁴