Survey says: Quercetin

Were you to survey 100 people, asking them what natural remedies they've tried to battle the common cold, you'd probably get many of the same answers. In Family Feud style, we'll say Survey Says:

• Zinc
• Echinacea
• Vitamin C

But, just as it always happens during the game show, there would still be one or two more answers left on the board. If you were lucky enough to have researchers from Pepperdine University on your team, you would know that the answer to at least one of them is quercetin.

Quercetin is an antioxidant found in apple skins, red wine, tea, and onions. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that are produced naturally during metabolism. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that can damage cell membranes, break down DNA and, as you might have guessed, depress immunity.

So, the next time you're feeling the symptoms of a cold coming on, you may want to try adding quercetin to your cold-fighting arsenal.