Quercetin and Allergies

Filed in archive Allergy Medications , Dust Mite Allergies , Hay Fever on April 10, 2008

Looking for alternative therapies for your allergies? There is a myriad of options out there, some approaches with more scientific backing than others. One of the dietary supplements out there that is said to have substantial scientific evidence demonstrating its efficacy is the use of quercetin.

Quercetin is a yellow pigment compound found in plants.

Quercetin is able to inhibit allergy and inflammatory responses by inhibiting the release of antibodies which cause histamine to be released.

Histamine released into the tissue and blood produces the conditions related to allergies and asthma including: runny, swollen nose, blocked sinuses, itchy eyes, skin blotches, coughing and wheezing, etc. Quercetin also inhibits the production of enzymes responsible for manufacturing a fatty acid called leukotrienes (LTs) which impedes the constriction of millions of tiny air sacs within the lungs causing the asthmatic response.