Click on this to see full size
As you can see from her photos, Senior Supermodel Oleda Baker is aging magnificently . I interviewed Oleda last month. She is a treasure trove of information on everything this blog stands for, namely healthy living and healthy aging, so I asked her if she would share some of her ideas with us. She has written 10 books on beauty and health. Her latest, written at the age of 75, Breaking the Age Barrier – Great Looks and Health at Every Age – was released in November 2010 and is available from Amazon or from her website www.oleda.com where she also sells her own line of health and beauty aids including Quercetin.
===================
Science has proven that antioxidants are beneficial to our health. One of the most prominent dietary antioxidants, Quercetin, is a flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, tea, wine and many supplements. Quercetin is also an anti-inflammatory. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get sufficient antioxidants from diet alone because you cannot physically eat a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits in a given day. On the positive side, supplements are available.
Quercetin promotes the thermogenic processes which increase your metabolism. This will increase your energy level without the unwanted effects of caffeine or other stimulants. Quercetin helps your body burn excess carbohydrates and fat, while providing antioxidant support for your body’s needs.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of Quercetin
Quercetin is a Free Radical scavenger helping to reduce oxidation within cells in order to fight off the damaging effects of these unstable molecules. As unstable free radicals move throughout the body they are able to bond to healthy/stable molecules in healthy cells. Once in the cells these free radicals damage cell membranes, chromosomes, and enzymes. This damaging of the cells will affect the rate of aging by accelerating the aging processes. Free radicals weaken the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight off infection from germs and viruses. A weakened immune system cannot fight off the effects of stress or overwork. Quercetin works to rid the body of these harmful unstable molecules, helping to prevent and repair the damage caused.
If Quercetin is this good how do I get it into me?
Wikipedia offered the following: “Foods containing Quercetin, presented in milligrams per 100 grams of edible portion (shown as numerals in parentheses),[5] include brewed, black or green tea (Camellia sinensis; about 2), Red Delicious apples (4), cow peas (11), sweet potato (10), kale (23), watercress (30), red onion (32; higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings and in the part closest to the root, the latter being the part of the plant with the highest concentration),[6] broccoli (3), black plums (12) and a number of berries, including cultivated blueberry (8), bilberry (3), lingonberry (13), cranberry (15), chokeberry (19), rowanberry (7), sea buckthorn berry (8), crowberry (5) and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus (5). A recent study found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more Quercetin than “conventionally grown.”[7]
So whether you are looking to lose weight, or just feel better with increased energy and alertness, Quercetin is a natural ingredient shown to be a healthy addition to your everyday diet.
Oleda
Editor’s Note: Making Oleda’s point about not being able to eat a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables in a day to get sufficient antioxidants from diet alone, I wrote about a friend who got carried away snacking on cherries. He ate way too many and got an upset stomach as a result. Cherries are a good source of quercetin.
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 