Foods That Contain Quercetin
There is plenty number of foods that contain quercetin. Fruits, Vegetables, Sweets, Nuts, Legumes, Juice, and beverages are included in the category of quercetin foods. Among them, the most common foods are:
Capers, oregano, apples, berries, cherries, oranges, grapes, guavas, coriander, nalta jute, kale, okra, potato, sweet potato, tomato, spinach, lettuce, beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, parsley, radish leaves, olive leaves, lemons, peaches, onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger, almonds, pistachio, tea, coffee, etc.
To find more foods with quercetin, see the table below: (Amount of quercetin is shown as mg/100g)
Source of Information: USDA Database
Foods High in Quercetin
All the foods have no equal amount of quercetin. There is a variation with regard to the amount of quercetin in different food sources. The top ten foods having the highest amount of quercetin are listed below:
Capers
Capers (raw) & capers (canned) contain the highest amount of quercetin. The quercetin concentrations in them are 233.38 & 172 mg/100g of edible portion respectively.
Lovage Leaves
Lovage leaves (raw) contain the second-highest quercetin concentration which is 172 mg/100g of edible portion.
Elderberry
Elderberry contains a significant amount of quercetin. Though the quercetin concentration in elderberry(raw) is somewhat low, elderberry juice concentrate possesses the third-highest amount of quercetin which is 108.16 mg/100g of edible portion.
Dock
Dock has various species. Here dock is meant rumex spp. It has long usage to treat different health conditions. Dock (Raw) possesses a quercetin concentration of 86.2 mg/100g of edible portion.
Radish Leaves
Radish leaves are very tasty if eaten fry. Radish leaves (Raw) have a quercetin concentration of 70.37 mg/100g of edible portion.
Chokeberry Juice Concentrate
It possesses a quercetin concentration of 68.17mg/100g of an edible portion.
Wild Rocket
Quercetin concentration in a wild rocket (raw) is 66.19 mg/100g of an edible portion (1). But due to the variation of the levels of light during the period of cultivation, the levels of flavonoids may vary. Since quercetin belongs to the flavonoids group, it may also vary.
Carob Fiber & Carob Flour
Carob fruits are the sources of two important herbal elements namely carob fiber and carob flour. Quercetin concentration in those herbal elements is 58.13 mg & 38.78mg /100g of an edible portion, respectively.
Dill Weed
Dill weed (fresh) has a quercetin concentration of 55.15/100g of an edible portion.
Coriander
The amount of quercetin in coriander is 52.9 mg/100g of an edible portion.
Peppers
Peppers have various varieties. Here we are concerned with yellow hot wax peppers (raw). It contains a quercetin concentration of 50.63 mg/100g of an edible portion.
Fennel Leaves
Fennel leaves are full of phytochemicals beneficial to the human body. They have popular use in the salad to increase the taste. Fennel Leaves (Raw) contain a quercetin concentration of 48.8 mg/100g of an edible portion.
Berries
Among the various species of berries, juniper berries (ripe) and green juniper berries (Unripe) have the highest quercetin content. Also at the same time, they have the highest quercetin concentration among fruit groups. The amount of quercetin in these berries is 46.61 and 42.81 mg/100g of an edible portion, respectively.
Mexican Oregano
Oregano is a popular herb. It has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. Among different varieties of oregano, Mexican oregano has the highest quercetin content of 42 mg/100g of an edible portion.
Onions
Almost all varieties of onions contain more or less quercetin. But Onions (Red, Raw) contains a higher amount of quercetin. That is 31.77 mg/100g of an edible portion. In these onions, the outermost rings and the part closest to the root have the highest quercetin content (2).
Besides, radicchio (raw), watercress (raw), hartwort leaves, ancho peppers, leaves of corn poppy, hawthorn leaves (raw), kale, nalta jute (raw), okra (raw), bee pollen, apple’s skin, chia seeds, wild bog whortleberries, sour cherries powder, sweet potato leaves, leaves of drumstick, cranberry juice (raw), saskatoon berries, annual saw-thistle leaves, serrano peppers, buckwheat, asparagus (cooked, boiled, drained), dried goji berry, lingonberries, lettuce (red leaf, raw), etc are highly enriched with quercetin.
Takeaway
From above discussion, you may have clear ideas about quercetin rich foods. But keep in mind that the amount of quercetin in a particular food item does not remain same. It may vary with the variation of a plenty of factors such as difference of country, difference of method of cultivation, etc.