Two recent studies highlight the potential of the safe plant-derived antioxidant Quercetin to treat COVID-19.
by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Epoch Times, October 22, 2021
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, good doctors have done what good doctors do and have given their patients safe and effective therapeutics to treat COVID-19.
While public health officials said nothing could be done, many doctors applied lessons learned from previous viral infections and helped their patients support their immune systems with safe measures that have a known history.
Common measures suggested by those doctors have included the use of vitamin D and antioxidants. As the pandemic wears on, mounting evidence points to the efficacy of many of these treatments, including quercetin.
Quercetin is a plant flavonol, a potent antioxidant found in many fruits, vegetables, seeds, and leaves. It’s safe, inexpensive, easy to obtain, and can help zinc get inside your cells, where it can work to stop viral replication.
Statistical Improvement in Clinical Outcomes
Two recent studies highlight the potential this safe plant-derived antioxidant has to treat COVID-19.
In the first study, published in the International Journal of General Medicine, 42 COVID-19 outpatients were divided into two groups. One group of 21 patients received standard medical therapy consisting of painkillers (acetaminophen) and an antibiotic for three consecutive days. The other 21 patients received standard therapy, plus the equivalent of 600 mg of quercetin per day (divided into three doses) for seven days, followed by another seven-day course of 400 mg of quercetin per day (divided into two doses).
The quercetin was used with sunflower lecithin, which has been demonstrated to increase absorption in the gut by as much as 20 times, compared to pure quercetin formulations.
The main outcomes being evaluated were virus clearance and symptoms. After one week of treatment, 16 of the 21 patients in the quercetin group tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and 12 reported that all of their symptoms had diminished.
Click Here to Watch the Newest We the People Convention News & Opinion Podcast!
In the standard care group, only two patients tested negative and four reported partially improved symptoms. By the end of week two, the five remaining patients in the quercetin group tested negative. In the standard care group, 17 of the 19 remaining patients tested negative and one had died.
“These results are impressive, and hopefully additional studies will be conducted on hospitalized patients to see how quercetin might be helpful in more severe cases,” Dr. Michael Murray wrote in an Aug. 21 newsletter.
Can Quercetin Reduce Hospitalizations and Deaths?
The second study—a prospective, randomized, and controlled open-label trial—gave 152 COVID-19 outpatients a daily dose of 1,000 mg of quercetin for 30 days to evaluate its adjuvant effects in the treatment of early COVID-19 symptoms and the prevention of severe infection.
“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 a number of deaths,” the study authors wrote.
“The results also confirmed the very high safety profile of quercetin and suggested possible anti-fatigue and pro-appetite properties.”
They described the branded form of quercetin being tested (Quercetin Phytosome) as “a safe agent and in combination with standard care, when used in early stage of viral infection,” saying that it could improve early symptoms and prevent severe COVID-19.
Quercetin’s Antiviral Properties
Quercetin’s antiviral properties have been attributed to three main mechanisms of action: inhibiting the virus’ ability to infect cells; inhibiting replication of already infected cells; and reducing infected cells’ resistance to treatment with antiviral medication.
