Quercetin is a polyphenol compound found in many plant based foods, namely onions, peppers, tomatoes, and wine. Personally, I take it in supplement form.

The press release is available here, and I’ll just summarize the facts of the somewhat long-winded press release for the sake of expediency:

• Quercetin had been shown previously to reduce colon cancer; this research explains why
• Amounts used in study are realistic for diet-only amounts (no need to supplement)
• Quercetin reduces the number of ‘aberrant crypts’ – proto-colonic lesions that eventually develop into colon cancer
• Quercetin appeared to decrease cell proliferation and increase apoptosis (programed cell death of old or damaged cells) in the colon
• Quercetin appeared to reduce the levels of Cox-1 and Cox-2, inflammatory factors thought to be either a cause or effect of colon and other cancers

Okay, I admit that was pretty uninspiring, but that was the extent of the info given in the release.

The take home message is: Eat healthily; consider supplementing with quercetin.