by: Ramon Tomey

Quercetin previously made waves as an alternative treatment for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, as touted by the late Dr. Vladimir "Zev" Zelenko.

An August 2022 study published in Nutrition Research looked at the pro-apoptotic effects of quercetin on aging cells. The study authors from Near East University in Cyprus looked at pre-clinical and early phase data on the use of quercetin against aging cells.

"Some of these cells have apoptosis resistance and can cause recurrence in cancer," the researchers wrote. "Quercetin administration appears to be effective in preventing or alleviating cancer formation."

An earlier review of studies published in Cancer Letters found that animal studies had demonstrated quercetin could prevent chemically induced cancer growth and epidemiological studies found that it could also prevent lung cancer.

Lab studies have also demonstrated that quercetin is a strong antioxidant and has pro-apoptotic effects on tumor cells, with the ability to block growth at different phases of the cell cycle. Research has also demonstrated that quercetin can promote the loss of cell viability and autophagy through several pathways, including those involving mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism.