STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Quercetin works much like hydroxychloroquine, a drug found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 when used early enough. Both are zinc ionophores, meaning they shuttle antiviral zinc into your cells
- The Front Line Critical COVID-19 Care Alliance’s early treatment protocol includes quercetin at a dose of 250 milligrams twice a day, in combination with 100 mg elemental zinc and 500 mg to 1,000 mg of vitamin C twice a day
- Quercetin also has other mechanisms of action that make it useful in the fight against COVID-19. For example, it may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to ACE2 receptor docking. By binding to the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein interface, quercetin inhibits viral attachment and entry into the cell
- Quercetin also modulates NLRP3 inflammasome, an immune system component involved in the uncontrolled release of proinflammatory cytokines that occurs during a cytokine storm
- Quercetin-rich foods include onions and shallots, apples, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currants and green tea
Quercetin Against SARS-CoV-2
In Part 24 of the anthology, Modern Discontent reviews the evidence behind the recommendation to use quercetin against COVID-19 specifically. As mentioned, zinc has antiviral activity, and quercetin helps shuttle the zinc into the cell. But quercetin also has other mechanisms of action that make it useful in the fight against COVID-19.
The Front Line Critical COVID-19 Care Alliance (FLCCC) early treatment protocol25 includes quercetin at a dose of 250 milligrams twice a day, in combination with 100 mg elemental zinc and 500 mg to 1,000 mg of vitamin C twice a day.