Quercetin is a natural plant pigment found in many fruits and vegetables, including apples, berries, and onions. Researchers from the Hospital of Southern Medical University recently discovered that quercetin may help lower high blood pressure.
Their study reviewed 17 clinical trials involving 896 participants to understand how quercetin affects cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
The study found that quercetin significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats, while diastolic pressure is the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats. Both are important indicators of heart health, and keeping them in check can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Interestingly, while quercetin had a strong impact on lowering blood pressure, it did not show much effect on cholesterol or blood sugar levels in most participants. However, the research team noticed that when people took quercetin for at least eight weeks, there were notable improvements in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because it helps remove bad cholesterol from your bloodstream, reducing the risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. High levels of triglycerides can lead to hardened arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The study did have some limitations. The participants included people from different backgrounds—some were healthy, while others had conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure.
Additionally, the 17 studies reviewed had varying designs and different types of participants, making it harder to draw firm conclusions for specific groups of people. Because of this, the researchers suggested that more studies are needed to better understand how quercetin affects heart health, especially in people with different health risks.
Even with these limitations, the findings are promising. Quercetin appears to have strong potential for lowering blood pressure and improving certain heart-related markers like HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
If future studies confirm these findings, quercetin could become a useful natural option for supporting heart health, especially for people at risk of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. These two conditions are closely related because they both affect the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels.
Heart disease covers a range of problems, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and heart valve issues. Symptoms can include chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to heart attacks.
Stroke occurs when the blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, either by a blockage (ischemic stroke) or by a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). When the brain does not get enough blood, it can suffer permanent damage, affecting movement, speech, and cognitive abilities.
Both heart disease and stroke share similar risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and obesity. Taking steps to reduce these risks can make a big difference.
Regular exercise, eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and quitting smoking are all effective ways to protect your heart and blood vessels. Some people also require medications to manage their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while more severe cases may need surgery to restore proper blood flow.
The researchers from the Hospital of Southern Medical University believe that quercetin could be a helpful addition to these lifestyle changes. However, they also emphasize that more research is needed to fully understand its benefits and how it could be used alongside traditional treatments.
The study was led by Haohai Huang and was published in the journal Nutrition Reviews. Their findings open up new possibilities for using natural supplements like quercetin to support heart health and prevent serious conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
For people looking for natural ways to support their heart health, quercetin might be worth exploring with the guidance of a healthcare provider.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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