Quercetin Found to Reduce Illness in Athletes
February 2007 - Quercetin, an antioxidant found in apples and several other plant foods, has been shown to reduce viral illness and maintain mental performance in physically stressed test subjects, say researchers at Appalachian State University (ASU) in North Carolina.
In this highly controlled laboratory study, 20 cyclists ingested 1,000 milligrams of purified quercetin a day for five weeks. A placebo was given to 20 other cyclists. Three weeks into the study, the athletes rode a bicycle three hours a day for three days to the point of exhaustion. As a result, the quercetin was found to reduce upper respiratory tract infections and boost the immune system. It also maintained mental alertness and reaction time in a fashion similar to that of caffeine, says researcher Dr. David Nieman who presented the research results at the southeastern regional meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine on February 9. Nieman is a professor at Appalachian’s Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science.
Despite these positive findings, applying the results to the average consumer is still not possible, stresses Nieman. He adds that the study did not test foods, but evaluated high dosages of purified quercetin; the average consumer takes in only 25-50 milligrams of quercetin a day, with apples as the number one source.
According to Sue Taylor, director of nutrition for the Apple Products Research and Education Council, “Although the test substance in this research was an extremely concentrated form of quercetin, there have been a number of studies done around the world that attribute various positive health benefits to the quercetin found in apples.”
The ASU research was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. |
