Does Quercetin help against high blood pressure?
It occurs as a natural plant substance in many fruits and vegetables. It is particularly concentrated in the skins; peeled fruits and vegetables have a lower content than unpeeled ones. The cultivation method also seems to influence the Quercetin content. In tomatoes, it was found that fruits from organic farming contain 79 % more Quercetin than those from conventional farming.
Very high in Quercetin are, for example, capers, lovage, onions, especially the outer rings, chives, apples, kale, but also broccoli and green beans. Red grapes also contain the plant pigment, mainly in the skin. Therefore, Quercetin is also found in red wine, which becomes a problem for some people, as they get headaches from just one glass of red wine. Researchers see the contained Quercetin as a possible trigger for inhibiting alcohol breakdown.
Does Quercetin work against high blood pressure?
Researchers examined a total of 17 randomized studies with 896 participants in a meta-analysis in 2020, which is a rather small number in the individual studies. These studies lasted between 2 and 12 weeks, and participants received 30 1000 mg of Quercetin daily. The impact on blood pressure was also investigated. This actually decreased on average by 3.09 mmHg systolic and 2.86 mmHg diastolic.
However, the researchers caution that the studies included in the meta-analysis were very inconsistent and recommend further investigation into the effects of Quercetin.
Earlier studies, which were already examined in a meta-study in 2016, showed no consistent effects on blood pressure.
Conclusion:
It is possible that Quercetin can lower blood pressure to a rather small extent. However, the results of the studies on this are varied, so further studies are needed to substantiate an effect.
Interesting:
A study published in September 2024 examined the effect of Quercetin on kidney function in people with high blood pressure. This study included data from more than 5800 hypertensives. The results show that a high intake of Quercetin very likely has a protective effect on the kidney function of hypertensives. The micro-albumin in the urine of participants who consumed a lot of Quercetin was significantly lower than that of the hypertensives in the control group. Mortality was also lower in the group of Quercetin consumers over the 10 years of follow-up.
Sources:
- https://www.medical-tribune.de/medizin-und-forschung/artikel/pflanzenstoff-quercetin-kann-blutdruck-senken
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015358/
- https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/78/8/615/5697189
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991028/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercetin
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-46203-y
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.8306
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (10/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
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