This is a guest post by Maria Rainier–see her author bio at the end of this post.
If you suffer from asthma, you know what it’s like to take steroids, use inhalers, swallow pills, and even try hybrid treatments like inhaling powdered medication. Often, inhalers raise your heart rate and make you jittery, steroids have negative side effects, and it’s frustrating to be ingesting so many unnatural substances just to control your asthma.
However, according to research being done on guinea pigs, prescription medication may not be the only way to treat asthma. While there’s certainly no substitute for a rescue inhaler, there’s a natural option that might help you take control of your condition without experiencing unpleasant side effects: quercetin.
What Is Quercetin?
One of many bioflavonoids being studied for their health-enhancing properties, quercetin is highly concentrated in fruits like apples, grapes, and citrus fruits, as well as red onions. It gives these vibrant fruits and vegetables their deep color and has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Because of its potent and versatile healing properties, the positive effects of quercetin aren’t limited to asthma – it’s also used to decrease other allergy symptoms, such as hives and hay fever. Quercetin is naturally water-soluble and is easily absorbed as a supplement, making it an ideal option for asthma patients. However, as with all natural supplements, it’s best to consult your doctor before you begin taking quercetin.
How Quercetin Can Help
In a study conducted by C. H. Jung and colleagues, guinea pigs with induced asthma that were treated with quercetin experienced several benefits. Most notably, quercetin was directly responsible for decreasing specific airway resistance in both immediate-phase and late asthmatic response. In other words, quercetin treatment decreased the constriction in the guinea pigs’ airways as soon as they began to experience symptoms. It also kept airway constriction minimized even throughout the later stages of the asthma attack. Another benefit of quercetin is that it decreased the production of histamines in the guinea pigs, especially during the late asthmatic response period.
Quercetin and Histamines
This is great news for asthmatic guinea pigs, but what about humans? Quercetin might have a long way to go before it’s widely used for asthma treatment, but it’s currently a key ingredient in a natural supplement used to balance histamine levels. Quercetin/bromelain complex includes bromelain to help increase the absorption of quercetin, making this combination a great option for anyone who needs a little extra help fighting allergy symptoms.
Is Quercetin Right for You?
Quercetin comes in a variety of forms and combinations, so it’s best to talk to your doctor about which supplement might be best for you. If you’re suffering from any side effects of your asthma medication, make sure you discuss quercetin with your doctor – you might be able to control your symptoms with a natural treatment. Because so many prescription asthma treatments can cause more severe reactions, the opportunity to stop taking them could significantly improve your health. Your doctor will know what’s best for you, so don’t hesitate to ask about quercetin.
Reference:
- Jung, Chan Hun, et al. “Anti-asthmatic Action of Quercetin and Rutin in Conscious Guinea-pigs Challenged with Aerosolized Ovalbumin.” Archives of Pharmacal Research 30.12 (2007): 1599-1607.
Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where recently she’s written about getting an online degree and a look at some of the lowest paying jobs on the market. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
About Guest Author
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