Quercetin is a plant pigment that has antioxidant properties. It is found in various complementary and alternative treatments such as Gingko biloba L., Radix Bupleuri, Mulberry leaves, Sophorae Fructus, Inulae Flos, and Crataegi Fructus. As an antioxidant, quercetin can potentially reduce damage caused by unstable molecules in our body. It helps decrease inflammation. It can be purchased over the counter as an herbal supplement.
Most of the evidence on quercetin’s effects is from preclinical experimental studies (i.e. animal models). These preclinical (animal) studies show that quercetin can have antidepressant-like effects by modifying brain chemical levels. It may also influence biological mechanisms, such as those that maintain brain cells and reduce levels of stress hormones. These results should be interpreted cautiously; as these are animal studies, it is not possible to say that the effects are the same in humans. Such experiments using rats and mice models show that quercetin is safe, with potency to reduce symptoms in animals in a controlled laboratory setting.
We have limited studies in humans using quercetin as a treatment. In a randomized placebo-controlled study, 90 students completed daily symptom ratings for 2 menstrual cycles. They were then randomly assigned to receive treatment (Gingko biloba pill with 40mg leaf extract, 43 participants) or a placebo pill (inactive pill, 42 participants). Taking the Gingko biloba pill for 3 times a day during the luteal phase for the next cycle significantly reduced the severity of premenstrual symptoms in the active treatment group compared to the placebo group. But we don’t know how many in each treatment group had PMDD. How much quercetin was administered in that study is unknown, since the compound was gingko biloba and they didn't report how much actual quercetin was in it. Also, we don't know what dose works for each person. This initial study suggests that quercetin has promise in reducing symptoms, but additional placebo-controlled research in humans is needed.
In sum, we need more research to understand quercetin’s potential efficacy in treating premenstrual symptoms, as well as its biological effects, in humans. We also need more research about its safety in combination with other PMDD treatments.
References:
Anand David AV, Arulmoli R, Parasuraman S. Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid. Pharmacogn Rev. 2016 Jul-Dec;10(20):84-89. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.194044. PMID: 28082789; PMCID: PMC5214562.
Silvestro S, Bramanti P, Mazzon E. Role of Quercetin in Depressive-Like Behaviors: Findings from Animal Models. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11(15):7116. doi: 10.3390/app11157116
Fang K, Li H-R, Chen X-X, Gao X-R, Huang L-L, Du A-Q, Jiang C, Li H and Ge J-F (2020) Quercetin Alleviates LPS-Induced Depression-Like Behavior in Rats via Regulating BDNF-Related Imbalance of Copine 6 and TREM1/2 in the Hippocampus and PFC. Front. Pharmacol. 10:1544. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01544
Anggreini, Putri, Ardianto, Chrismawan, Rahmadi, Mahardian and Khotib, Junaidi. "Quercetin attenuates acute predator stress exposure-evoked innate fear and behavioral perturbation" Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, vol. 30, no. 6, 2019, pp. 20190242. https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2019-0242
Ozgoli G, Selselei EA, Mojab F, Majd HA. A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Ginkgo biloba L. in Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2009;15(8):845-51. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0493
Reviewed By: Dr. Liisa Hantsoo (IAPMD Clinical Advisory Board)