Quercetin isn’t a dodgy brand name, it is a powerful flavonoid antioxidant found naturally in food and plants, which unfortunately goes under the radar. I suspect most people with visual snow like myself previously have never heard of it, let alone tried it as a supplement.
Updated: 15/05/2019: A year on since first trialling it, I still take Quercetin regularly. I believe it benefits my overall health and some of the symptoms I associate with visual snow indirectly. Quercetin like other supplements will not “cure” your visual snow but it could help certain individuals. Particularly those who suffer from allergies, photophobia, or viral symptoms.
Benefits Of Quercetin
The common research focus for Quercetin is cancer related because it is powerful in chemoprevention but it has wide-ranging benefits, many of which may also be relevant to making the most of life and health with visual snow.
Anti-inflammatory (including intestinal epithelial cells)
Increases benefit from green tea
Inhibits capillary permeability
Protects against heavy metal toxicity
Stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis (regenerates mitochondria)
Quercetin As A Supplement: Recommendations
How much Quercetin we consume naturally depends on what we eat but most people will be struggling to get much benefit through their diet; the estimated average daily consumption is around 0-30mg with a typical western diet.
I look to Quercetin whenever I want to feel slightly better or have symptoms of allergies or viral symptoms. I suspect Quercetin may have contributed to the improvement of my photophobia.
Quercetin is poorly soluble and I recommend that you take it in pill form. Certain enzymes such as Bromelain and Papain may help intestinal absorption of Quercetin and I have occasionally been taking Quercetin together with a proteolytic enzyme supplement. Alternatively Bromelain is found in pineapple, Papain in papaya, and oils and fats may also help with Quercetin absorption.
I have not experienced any significant side-effects and there is a lack of evidence of toxicity even at very high dosages. If you would also like to adjust your dietary intake of Quercetin then some of the easier and more significant additions could be: capers (canned:173mg/100g, raw: 234mg/100g), carob (58mg/100g), buckwheat (23mg/100g), and red onions (32mg/100g).
