Years ago, I learned of a powerful anticancer flavonoid from Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D.
Blaylock is a recently retired board-certified neurosurgeon and one of the rare M.D.’s out there that has also devoted his time to become an expert on nutrition and natural cancer therapies despite criticism from the medical community at large.
His book Natural Strategies For Cancer Patients is a in-depth study of the specific nutrients within foods that strengthen your immune system and help your body fight cancer on a cellular level.
He also addresses supplements that can minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation if someone were to go that route. Natural Strategies was a great read and I learned a lot. Highly recommended. The fact that he is an M.D. gives a lot of credibility to his research and message.
Alright, enough about Dr. Blaylock, The super flavonoid I’m talking about is called…
Quercetin (pronounced kwɜrsɨtɨn).
If you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry, you’re normal.
But before I go any further, I have to admit I exaggerated a little bit in the title of this post. Quercetin actually has a rival for most powerful flavonoid, and that is curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, which is a main ingredient in curry powder. Together, quercetin and curcumin are the dynamic duo of anti-cancer flavonoids.
Here are some key facts about quercetin according to the research that Dr. Blaylock has assembled:
Quercetin protects the DNA in cells because collects around the nucleus of cells offering powerful anti-oxidant protection.
It has anti-inflammatory properties. Which is good, because inflammation is bad.
It’s also a powerful natural histamine blocker. I don’t really have allergies, but some folks with allergies and sinus issues swear by it.
Here’s another big benefit. Quercetin binds to excess iron in your body. It removes it from tissues, and prevents its absorption. This process is called chelation. This is critical as iron can be a key ingredient in cancer cell growth. Quercetin has the ability to steal the iron from cancer cells which can stop their growth and induce cell death. Even if you don’t have cancer, if you eat meat, it’s a good practice to eat green vegetables with it to limit the amount of iron your body absorbs. Yes, you need iron, but too much iron is bad for you. FYI: Red meat is the highest source of iron.
Check this out:
A 2007 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than the conventionally grown ones.
If that doesn’t convince you that buying organic is better… then you just crazy.
As I’ve said in previous posts, conventional produce has been cross-bred and is engineered to be big and beautiful, but it is nutrient deficient and loaded with toxic fertilizers and pesticides. Some conventional produce is genetically modified (GMO), but they aren’t required to disclose that; and there’s no way to tell by looking at it. The most common GMO foods are corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and commercial milk which contains rBGH, a genetically modified hormone to increase milk production. Avoid these foods like the plague!
Ok so where else can you get quercetin besides organic tomatoes?
The best sources of quercetin are organic apples, red onions, black and green tea, red grapes, raspberries, cranberries, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables.
I eat all of those foods often, but I also like to take Quercetin in supplement form. In his book, Dr. Blaylock recommends Quercetin Phytosome in which quercetin is combined with phospholipids to significantly improve absorption. The usual dose is 250 to 500 mg three times a day taken with food.
If you’re taking it for allergies, you may want to take more. And from what I understand, it may take up to a few weeks before you notice any improvement.
I also like Source Naturals Liquid Quercetin.
And definitely get this book:
Natural Strategies For Cancer Patients by Russell Blaylock, M.D.
…
Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally, published by Hay House, is a National Bestseller as ranked by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly! Get it on Amazon here, or anywhere books are sold. I've interviewed over 60 people who've healed all types and stages of cancer. Check them out here. Or use the search bar to find survivors of specific cancer types.
I also created a coaching program for cancer patients, caregivers and anyone who is serious about prevention called SQUARE ONE. It contains the step-by-step strategies used by myself and everyone I know who has healed cancer with nutrition and natural, non-toxic therapies.
Watch SQUARE ONE Module 1 for free here
(((c)))
Chris Beat Cancer is reader-supported. If you purchase a product through a link on this site I may receive compensation from the affiliate partner (like Amazon). Your support helps fund this blog and my mission so my team and I can continue to do the work that we do. Thank you!
This Post Has 26 Comments
Thanks Chris. I’m going to check out the supplements asap. Even after having Melanoma which seems to be viewed as the ‘lesser’ cancer, although extremely deadly, I want to continue to be diligent with any help I can give my body.
Thanks Chris, I ordered te liquid Quercetin and notice it has fructose…is this still safe to take whie healing cancer.? thank you.
Very interesting!Question – and you may not know the answer to this – but what if you are prone to being anemic? Would this be bad for you in that case? I have taken iron pills pretty much my whole life (and even with them – last time I went to the doctor I was 1 point above being considered anemic.) So this sounds interesting and I suffer from allergies and would love to take a supplement that would help. But I wouldn’t want to up something that might take away from my iron levels.
Great to know that organic apples are a good source of quercetin b/c that is one of 3 things my 17 month old will eat right now! Have been awaiting your next post. A great read! :)
Thorne do a quercetin blend with bromalain I think. Good combo.
Melissa… From memory anemia isn’t always a direct result of iron deficiency…so maybe investigate another source?
A great healer of anemia is wheatgrass. Chlorophyll is molecularly very similar to hemoglobin … I have heard of cases where it
can correct the anemia in a week or so.
If you had to make the decision again. Would you still have the colon cancer surgically removed. Or would you go for diet cure altogether?
The reason I’m asking is I am in the same situation and am not keen to have the op.
Thanks.
Maggie
Hi Maggie
That’s tough one.
Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn’t because disturbing a tumor can cause cancer to spread.
This is called “seeding”.
Some people see their body heal very quickly when they make radical changes to their diet and lifestyle,
and sometimes it’s a process of trial and error figuring out what ingredients your body needs to heal.
If you choose to go hardcore with natural and alternative therapies, make sure you monitor your blood work
and tumor every month.
If the tumor is shrinking obviously that’s good, if it isn’t shrinking or is growing and blocking your intestinal passage,
surgery may be necessary.
Hi Chris, I wanted to tell you about Protandim. http://www.abcliveit.com and pubmed.gov are 2 other places, besides my website to learn more about Protandim. It was invented by Paul R. Myhill and William J. Driscoll and is produced under a manufacturing agreement with The Chemins Company of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The product consists mainly of a blend of 5 ingredients (amounts per caplet listed in parentheses):
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract (225 mg)
Bacopa (Bacopa monniera) extract (150 mg)
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root (150 mg)
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (75 mg)
Turmeric (Curcuma Ionga) extract (75 mg)
Additional ingredients include: calcium, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, modified cellulose, silica, and stearic acid. I would love to visit more about this with you. Sincerely, Judy Henderson RN
Hi Chris,
I am trying to figure out supplements for my husband. I have been corresponding with you but thought maybe some other people may have a similar question. I ordered the vitamin pack from Dr. David Williams as suggested in Bill Henderson’s book. I am continuing to read and learn from your information you gleaned. One of the vitamins is fish oil and that is a no-no to you. I had been taking fish oil for years and laughed at the picture of the fish in the press and that image speaks volumes. We do eat wild caught Alaskan Salmon-a favorite. Would you send those vitamins back and do the recommended supplements you take? I did notice this morning that my husbands PH level was darker on the scale and from my beginning learning it means a deficency in calcium and magnesium mostly? I want his body to be able to absorb the vitamins and minerals. Do you have any suggestions here? I will have him test it again in the morning. Also, he is currently taking barley power by green supreme and green tea extract and Heart plus from cell nutritionals. I do not want these supplements to hinder or mix in the wrong ways. We are on a timeline for recovery and I thought some of your supplements sounded powerful especially the Quercetin. Thanks, Ann
Don’t send them back.
There are a lot of good brands out there, just rotate between them.
It’s good to mix it up.
The best (most bioavailable) source of vitamins and minerals is raw fruits, vegetables, and veggie juice.
And clean meats in moderation.
Supplements are like an extra insurance policy.
Saliva and urine ph can vary a lot from day to day as the body detoxes,
therefore I didn’t assign much value to those readings.
As he continues to detox and get well his absorption rate will improve,
if it’s hindered at all.
Just keep putting the good stuff in and the body will figure out what to do with it.
If I send u the list of supplements I take daily, will u give me ur thoughts? Diagnosed with appendiceal mucinous adenocarcinoma in march 2009 after emergency appendectomy, followed by what mayo clinic drs insisted which was a right hemicolectomy, which 8 months later had seeded and spread to my entire abdominal area with a more aggressive pathology…was referred to Sloan-Kettering which I had no interest in seeing anyone at a “renowned” cancer institute after mayo clinic. After being seen by specialist in San Diego (I live near Cincinnati, oh) I opted for HIPEC surgery with specialist in Baltimore …he then referred me to Georgetown university oncology group in Washington , DC and they told me to do 6 months chemo, which I said “no thx” and went back to dr. Munoz in Mexico. Have been following alternative regime since and am approaching 18 months of tumor free living! It’s very difficult following uo in Mexico so I would appreciate your insight on what I am doing!
Hi Chris, Just stumbled across your blogsite and it’s just what I need as I am not going the traditional route (chemo,etc) and felt so alone. Now I got you! haha. In your reply Oct 2011 to Maggie you say, “If you choose to go hardcore with natural and alternative therapies, make sure you monitor your blood work….” I would like to know what do you suggest to monitor for?
me too ! I ve done the same thing
Hi Chris…love everything you’re sharing. Thank you! Wondering if you can clarify the scare that’s out there about taking Vit. A or Beta Carotene in our multi’s or other, even in small doses, that can contribute to cancer. I read some of your material now on fish oil which was very informative. Perhaps this is coming from the same source? I like my new find with Source Naturals…Life Force Multiple. Most multi’s do have “A” &/or beta carotene. I’ve always known it to be good for immune system +, & personal experience has been good. Someone told me they heard Dr. Oz. share this somewhat alarming info. on “A” & Beta Carotene. Thanks for any of your insight.
I’ve never worried about getting too much Vitamin A or Beta Carotene
because most of what I consume is from whole food sources.
I also make sure that I only take organic whole food vitamins.
Any isolated vitamins can be problematic for the body
and difficult to absorb. :)
Someone probably misquoted Dr. Oz — seems to happen fairly regularly. People who haven’t been reading/talking nutrition don’t always understand perfectly what they’re hearing and get it twisted or jumbled. If you don’t smoke while taking Vit. A (a study was done with smokers), you’re OK with A.
Was allergy sufferer since childhood. At 15, I started shots. Started over 4-5 times due to moving and insurance changes. On shots for 26 years and never cured. Moved from BC, Canada (not so severe allergies) to OR (became really severe w/asthma) to CA, less so – but started shots here, to NY, to FL and back to in-state CA in 2011. 2011 I still tested positive for most things like trees, grasses, weeds and molds. Dec 2011 I stopped shots because I was too distracted as my husband was just told he had colon cancer. We switched to organic diet, just fish and chicken and only olive and coconut oil. Surgery, chemo began – time passed. Tried to get a shot in March, and they couldn’t remix and FL said he wasn’t going to do it because I hadn’t seen him in over 1 year. Hmmm. Had read about some holistic accupressure approaches and thought I might try them. But, wanted to wait for symptoms to appear in spring so I’d know if it was working. Well, it is October now, and I’m still waiting for symptoms. The only symptom I did actually have this year was itchy eyes. No sneezing, no asthma. Could it be the lack of pesticides? The Quercetin in Organic tomatos? The re-balancing of Omega 3’s & 6’s? I don’t know. But something has changed. I will keep you posted next spring. :-)
I have been reading about Fucoidan … the brown seaweed and am very interested in that. I don’t know how to pick a good brand and am concerned about mixing up too many supplements for my husband with stage IV stomach cancer; if they will cancel each other out or something. He has also been taking a MyCommunity mushroom supplement. Can these things be overloaded? Thanks.
the one I have been taking and I do get results is from garden of life and the seaweed is taken from a pristine area in the canary islands. the algaecal product is from So.America. I also do 50mg of Iodine to help protect against unknown toxic stuff. :)
@Laura–you need to research Fucoidan thoroughly. It looks promising yes, BUT, now we have to worry about radiation in the Japan seaweed. Testing has been done and MANY results lead to radiation levels much higher than normal in the Japanese oceans and even off the Pacific coast of the US. But don’t take my word for it..look it up.
Hi Chris,
I’m very exciting when reading your post.!
My mom 63years/45kg has diagnosed by doctor having Lymphoma stage 2A. This has been about 2month ago that she had swelling starts from her necks and spread further to head behind ears area.
I search many articles about negative side of chemotherapy, radiotheraphy, etc which indeed can worsen the patient condition. She is in a weak condition now, meaning can’t walk and has to get support when doing normal activity. Her weight decrease drastically within past few months.
Is there anyone of you here ever heard about exotic Ants Plants (Myrmecodia pendans) which has very rich Flavonoids inside ?
Not sure if this Flavonoids are classified the same to the specific Quercetin that you recommended here ?
Appreciate your opinion on this.
Hi Chris,
You are a true inspiration to all. I was wondering if you could generate a list of the supplements you currently take daily?
Thanks!
https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/my-anti-cancer-supplement-protocol-recommended-by-nutritionist-john-smothers/
Thanks Chris! I have seen that protocol. Was trying to order daily supplements for prevention and have a list, but do not want to overdo it. Any way you could post what you take now post cancer and as a preventative. I plan on setting up an telephone appt. with you. Just want to get a plan going. Ate my first big salad for dinner w your dressing. I LOVED it!!! Thank you!
You are so helpful. I am slow to gather everything. But always gleening new ideas from your blog. Love getting new testimonies too!
Stay well, I need you!!!
Thanks a bunch.
The flavonoid lycopin and the electrolyte magnesium is two other good reasons for eating the dog of vegetables (tomato).
Comments are closed.