Super Nutrient in Simple Foods: Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid polyphenol found in plants. Polyphenolic compounds are the micronutrient elements that are additional to vitamin and minerals. These important nutrients offer antioxidant benefits, known to protect and even reverse cellular damage caused by environmental, age, or disease processes. Quercetin is a predominant compound identified in onions – On average making up to 43% of a red onion’s polyphenol concentration (1).

Quercetin’s Protective Effect on Viral Infections

Today quercetin is getting a bit more attention for its appreciable benefit in supporting against infectious disease, specifically viral infections. It has been studied against several viruses, including SARs Corona Virus, demonstrating it supports against viral infection in several ways:

• Inhibits viral function (3)
• Prevents viral replication (4)
• Prevents toxicity against human cells (3,4).

Supplementation with quercetin is an option, however, it shouldn’t necessarily be the default or the only means to obtaining the nutrient. It can’t be overemphasized that consuming a variety of plant foods that are high full of phytonutrients is a powerful tool in improving or optimizing health. Supplementation can also be a powerful tool, especially in states of disease – but consumption of Whole Food has a dynamic effect because of the many additional complimentary compounds and nutrients (other phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber) that create a synergistic response in the body.

Foods high in quercetin

• Leafy greens
• Apples
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Green tea
• Olive oil
• Citrus fruits

Remember that organic options are ideal as they tend to have significantly higher levels of polyphenol content than conventionally grown crops due to multiple factors (genetic modification, soil quality, and diversity, etc.). \

Immune boosting side

Caramelized Onion and Mushrooms, with Asparagus

Ingredients:

1. One bunch of organic asparagus
2. One onion red or yellow
3. 1-2 cups of organic mushrooms of choice – white button or cremini are great options!
4. 2-3 tbsp. Organic cold press olive oil or Ghee
5. Optional: 1 clove of garlic
6. Sea salt or Redmond’s real salt

Cooking utensils:

• Fry pan – avoid non-stick options (Teflon)! My preference is Cast Iron for the additional iron and durability, but other great options include stainless and well-crafted ceramic pans.
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Spatula

Instructions:

1. Prepare vegetables
   1. Start with Asparagus – start by cutting of the bottom part of the stalks (approximately 1 in) that is tough and discard. From there I like to cut stalks in thirds – but can do halves for long or fourths for smaller pieces. Once prepared, set aside.
   2. Next prepare the onion and garlic. For this dish, onions do not need to be minced or chopped – you can prepare longer pieces by cutting onion into fourths and then slicing from there. Can be chopped smaller if desired.
   3. Lastly chop mushrooms.
2. Heat your pan over medium heat and add olive oil (or ghee). *You want to keep the heat on the lower end when cooking with Olive oil, for its low smoke point*
3. Start with onions and garlic and sauté until they are translucent then add mushrooms – stir and then cover for 1-2 minutes. Remove lid and add asparagus, combine ingredients, and cover again for 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and enjoy! Pairs wonderfully with Red meat or chicken!

References:

1. Kwak, J. H., Et al. (2017) Saudi journal of biological sciences, 24(6), 1387–1391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.05.014 <%22>

2. Mlcek, J., et al. (2016). Molecules, 21(5), 623. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21050623

3. Chiow, K. H., et al. (2016). Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine, 9(1), 1-7.

4. Gansukh, E., Kazibwe, Z., Pandurangan, M., Judy, G., & Kim, D. H. (2016). Phytomedicine, 23(9), 958-967.