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Review
. 2012 Jan;3(1):39-46.
doi: 10.3945/an.111.001271. Epub 2012 Jan 5.

Therapeutic potential of quercetin to decrease blood pressure: review of efficacy and mechanisms

Abigail J Larson  1 , J David Symons, Thunder Jalili
Affiliations
Review

Therapeutic potential of quercetin to decrease blood pressure: review of efficacy and mechanisms

Abigail J Larson et al. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies beginning in the 1990s have reported that intake of quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid found in a wide variety of plant-based foods, such as apples, onions, berries, and red wine, is inversely related to cardiovascular disease. More recent work using hypertensive animals and humans (>140 mm Hg systolic and >90 mm Hg diastolic) indicates a decrease in blood pressure after quercetin supplementation. A number of proposed mechanisms may be responsible for the observed blood pressure decrease such as antioxidant effects, inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, and improved endothelium-dependent and -independent function. The majority of these mechanisms have been identified using animal models treated with quercetin, and relatively few have been corroborated in human studies. The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence supporting the role of quercetin as a potential therapeutic agent and the mechanisms by which quercetin might exert its blood pressure-lowering effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures: A.J. Larson, J.D. Symons, and T. Jalili, no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of quercetin and its various forms.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of blood pressure changes observed after a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing 4 wk of 760 mg/d quercetin supplementation vs. placebo in male and female patients with hypertension. MAP, mean arterial pressure. Values are mean ± SE, n = 22 stage 1 hypertensive, n = 19 Prehypertensive. *Different from placebo; P < 0.05. Adapted with permission from (10).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overview of possible mechanisms based on available in vitro and in vivo evidence by which quercetin (Q) may interact with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to decrease blood pressure, as reviewed in the text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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