In this post, we’ll discuss what is quercetin, some of the latest research related to quercetin and health, and rank quercetin rich foods including the top 10 quercetin rich vegetables and the top 10 quercetin rich fruits.
A growing body of evidence is linking quercetin, a flavonoid found in many fruits and vegetables, with positive health effects like decreased risks of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
And while health organizations don’t yet provide any statements regarding the health effects of quercetin or provide a recommended dietary intake value, many individuals are looking for quercetin-rich foods to add to their diets to improve their health.
Quercetin and Health
Quercetin is a polyphenol found in relatively larger concentrations in certain plants.
Polyphenols are a class of compounds with a particular chemical structure that have begun to accumulate research expounding their potential virtues towards good health.
Quercetin is flavonoid, a class of polyphenols that also includes compounds such as Isorhamnetin, Kaempferol, and Myricetin.
Polyphenols have shown promise as a chemo-protective. In other words, epidemiological studies have shown that polyphenols may help reduce your risk of developing cancer.
The biochemical mechanism through which they do this is not yet clear. However, they have shown through in vitro studies that polyphenols interact with a variety of signaling pathways, some of which are related to cancer progression.
Quercetin is among the most heavily researched flavonoids. And it, too, has shown potential chemo-preventative properties. One particular area that shows promise is the prevention of colorectal cancer.
And in addition to potentially helping fend off cancer, quercetin has shown promise for combatting cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke.
So although more research needs to determine what, if any, are the true merits of this particular flavonoid, quercetin has shown great promise as a natural compound found in a variety of healthy foods that may help combat several of the major chronic diseases we face today.
Quercetin Rich Foods
Quercetin rich foods are primarily vegetables. However, some fruits also contain quercetin, too.
Using the USDA Food Database, we have compiled data from all of the fruits and vegetables that contain information about polyphenol concentration.
We ranked all 93 foods by quercetin density. In other words, the foods with the highest concentration of quercetin per calorie are shown below ranked as the orange shaded portion.
We also include the quercetin content as mg/100g, shown as blue bars.
See a snapshot of our analysis, below. Or feel free to use our interactive charts ranking the most quercetin rich foods, here!
Quercetin Rich Vegetables
Vegetables contain most of the quercetin-dense foods.
See our ranking of 191 of the healthiest vegetables!
In fact, the top 14 most quercetin-dense foods are all vegetables.
Here are the top 10 most quercetin-dense vegetables.
Quercetin Rich Fruits
Some fruits also contain quercetin. The USDA Food Database contains quercetin content information for 21 fruits (out of around 75).
See our ranking of the 75 healthiest fruits!
Here are the top 10 most quercetin-dense fruits.
Quercetin in Food for Health
Quercetin is becoming an exciting nutritional compound with promise for reducing the risks of developing certain types of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Do you have information you’d like to share on quercetin? Good or bad, please share your thoughts!