Quercetin is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements. It is also a fairly good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. However, despite all the good news there may be some cause for caution and concern. Some very interesting information just published by researchers in Japan gives us clues why sometimes quercetin seems to help mood and in others it seems to be a problem. If you aren’t a neuroscientist the take-home message is clear. Quercetin weakly inhibits one enzyme responsible for the breakdown of serotonin and other neurotransmitters (catecholamines = stimulating type of transmitters). In that way it may help depression. But if your levels of these neurotransmitters were already high – it may trigger mania and rages. On balance, I have found this supplement helpful in most patients with chronic inflammation, and only occasionally see negative behavior or mood effects.
For more information, read the article here.
Source: Dr Jeff Bradstreet, MD, MD(H), FAAFP
