The term resveratrol has been tossed around in wellness circles for years now, and for good reason. You’ve likely heard that red wine may help support healthy cholesterol levels, heart health, your body’s fight against oxidative stress, and even help regulate healthy insulin levels.¹ That benefit is attributed (at least in part) to the plant polyphenol resveratrol in the wine. But resveratrol has an equally beneficially-effective buddy: resveratrol quercetin.

Closely related to resveratrol, quercetin turns out to be the most abundant flavonoid polyphenol found in vegetables, green tea, and, yes… red wine. But why is quercetin gaining even more awareness now? 

It turns out that quercetin might exhibit a few unique therapeutic effects related to improving mental and physical performance and supporting good health.² To learn more about the bioavailability of quercetin, read on.

Where To Find Quercetin?

You may be surprised to learn that quercetin-type flavanols are among the most abundant flavonoid molecules out there. You can find them in a variety of plant foods, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, shallots, kale, onions, green tea, and olive oil.³ But you can also find quercetin in botanicals often used to support wellness (like Ginkgo biloba and Sambucus canadensis). 

There are also cutting-edge quercetin supplements out there which may be a great place to start if you’re looking to up your quercetin intake.⁴ Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, including supplements. 

Quercetin And Weight Loss

In one 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, quercetin was shown to significantly decrease the total body fat, waist circumference, and body mass index of several overweight subjects.⁵

The Beneficial Effects Of Quercetin, Curcumin, And Resveratrol 

Even though it can be scary to think about the effects of being overweight, it helps to know there are natural polyphenolic compounds out there — like quercetin, curcumin, and resveratrol — that may produce beneficial effects on fatty acids and energy metabolism potentially leading to positive changes in body weight.⁶

Like quercetin, curcumin (the most abundant polyphenol in turmeric) supports the body’s fight against oxidative stress.⁷

Resveratrol is another polyphenolic compound in red wine that may be able to support a healthy weight and healthy blood sugar levels already within a normal range.⁸

The Beneficial Effects Of Resveratrol Quercetin

So, in the end, if you’re looking to up your quercetin intake, you can do so in a couple of different ways. 

First, you can eat more foods that contain lots of quercitin. Onions are really high in quercetin, but so are dark and leafy green vegetables, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and oils like olive oil. 

In fact, here’s a fun idea: grill up a quercetin-loaded stuffed onion.

Preheat your grill to medium. Cut off the top of an onion and use a spoon to remove the insides, creating a sort of bowl. Dice up the removed onion innards and combine them with diced mushrooms, chopped broccoli, and slivered Brussels sprouts. Season the veggies with herbs and quercetin-rich olive oil. Fill the onions with the veggie mix, wrap the onion bowls in foil, and grill for about 20 minutes. Check the onion bowls at 15 minutes or so to gauge how much time you may need to get the onions tasty golden brown. Then, serve with a dollop of herbed goat cheese or sheep cheese.

How tasty is that?

You can also try drinking more green tea or even up to 6 oz. of your favorite red wine each day. But if you prefer not to think about getting your quercetin from plant foods for whatever reason, you can also opt to purchase a high-quality quercetin supplement. Just make sure to get your doctor’s approval. 

Learn More:

Polyphenols

Sources

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27496184/
2. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/quercetin
3. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/quercetin
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882695/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613708/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613708/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18370854/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613708/