Quercetin is chemical classified as a flavonoid. Flavonoids are compounds made by plants, and also also present in some of the foods you eat. According to the American Cancer Society, quercetin is an antioxidant and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, which can help prevent some illnesses. Quercetin gives certain type of foods its color, and can be found in a range of plant-based items such as fruits and vegetables.
Fruits
According to the World's Healthiest Foods, an information resource affiliated with the George Mateljan Foundation, almost every type of fruit and vegetable contains some type of flavonoid. Fruits that contain quercetin, a flavonoid that is subdivided even more into the flavonol class, are mainly those that are dark in color. Apples, red or black grapes, blueberries, blackberries and cherries all contain quercetin, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. The phytochemical--another word for a plant-based chemical--is contained in the skin of the fruit.
Vegetables
The Linus Pauling Institute reports that quercetin and other flavonol flavonoids are found in onions, scallions, kale and broccoli. The World's Healthiest Foods cautions that cooking onions will decrease the level of flavonoids. Eating the vegetable raw offers you up to 30 percent more quercetin than in its cooked state. The American Cancer Society adds that leafy green vegetables also contain quercetin. If you do not eat any of these foods and have a limited palate for quercetin-rich fruit as well, ask your doctor about the possibility of taking quercetin supplements to reap the associated health benefits. Supplement doses range from 50 to 500 mg daily, according to the ACS.
Beverages
Antioxidant-rich green tea contains quercetin, as well as red wine that's cultivated from dark grapes. These beverages provide not only quercetins but other flavonoids as well that might prevent or reduce inflammation and protect you against heart disease and degeneration of the nervous system, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Herbs
Quercetin and other kinds of flavonoids are plant-based chemicals, therefore several herbs contain the beneficial antioxidant. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, flavonoids called flavones, similar to quercetin, are present in herbs and spices commonly found in the kitchen pantry, such as thyme and parsley. The World's Healthiest Foods reports that licorice root and scutellaria root, herbs you might find in traditional forms of oriental medicine, are rich in quercetin.
Herbal supplements you can use that contain quercetin include St. John's wort and gingko biloba, according to Wyoming-based supplement supplier Ambio Life. Use all herbal supplements only under the supervision of your doctor to avoid possible harmful side effects or drug interactions.
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