Effects of the Dietary Flavonoid Quercetin Upon Performance and Health

Abstract

There is increased interest among such diverse groups as the military, athletes, and the aged for novel plant-derived dietary supplements to enhance performance and maintain/improve health. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables, has unique biological properties that are likely to improve mental/physical performance and reduce infection risk during intense exercise. These properties include antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and psychostimulant activity, as well as the ability to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, and they form the basis for potential benefits to overall health and disease resistance. However, most information regarding quercetin is based upon in vitro and animal studies. Therefore, there is a pressing need for well-designed clinical trials to evaluate this novel dietary supplement further. This article will examine the recent scientific literature concerning the role of quercetin in mental and physical performance and health.

Naringenin enhances NK cell lysis activity by increasing the expression of NKG2D ligands on Burkitt’s lymphoma cells

“…Bae et al demonstrated that quercetin-treated cancer cell lines showed enhanced susceptibility to NK cells through induction of NKG2D ligands. These effects were found to be caused by blocking of nuclear factor-kappa B and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways (Davis et al 2009;Bae et al 2010).…”

Antioxidants May Protect Cancer Cells from Apoptosis Signals and Enhance Cell Viability

“…It has been theorized that cancer risk reduction may be achieved by greater consumption of phytochemicalrich fruits and vegetables (Davis et al, 2009;Rinaldi et al, 2009). However, results of our research suggest that antioxidants can interfere and attenuate success of anticancer therapy so antioxidant intakes should be strictly controlled in the cancer diagnosed patients.…”

Plant Food Extracts as Source of Bioactive Compounds for Prevention of Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Dysfunction in Rats

“…The final common pathway of kidney damage often involves inflammation and fibrosis [Fassett et al, 2011]. So, nutrients and bioactive compounds that can influence inflammation and have antioxidant activity, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols and phenolic compounds [Davis et al, 2009;Rosenbaum et al, 2010], may be used in the adjuvant treatment of kidney diseases. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and spices offer protection against the development of chronic diseases due to presence of such nutraceuticals [Brevik et al, 2011].…”