Quercetin for Hives – Does it Help Relieve Symptoms?

Hives can show up for a variety of reasons, and one of the common causes is an allergic reaction. Here’s what the research and experts say…

You can find a number of home remedies for treating the symptoms of the allergic reaction, the hives. However, if you want to get to the cause of the outbreak in the first place – can you use quercetin for hives?

According to Dr Josh Axe, quercetin acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and antihistamine. In fact, studies have shown that quercetin stops immune cells from sending out the histamines in the first place. In turn, it prevents the skin outbreak from happening in the first place.

Quercetin for Chronic Hives?

Sometimes hives (or Uticaria) can occur over and over, more like chronic hives. In some cases, the red lesions can result from an allergic reaction to the food you eat.

Dr Deborah Gordon recommends trying a food elimination diet to pinpoint the source of the problem. Thus, if you get rid of the source, you won’t have to worry about treating the hives.

Antihistamine drugs also stop the release of the histamines that cause the hives in an allergic reaction. However, people who suffer from chronic hives don’t usually want to take medication for months or years if they don’t have to.

Does Quercetin Help Hives?

For this reason, some allergy sufferers turn to natural alternatives such as quercetin. In addition to possibly treating the hives, quercetin offers numerous other health benefits. For example, it has shown to help prevent cancer, lower cholesterol and help with diabetes.

Eating foods that contain quercetin may also help remedy the situation. For example, some people use quercetin-containing foods to resolve their eczema (another skin condition). Read more here: Can Quercetin Help Eczema?

In addition to food allergies, The Mayo Clinic says to watch for other potential triggers like medications, pollen, pet dander, latex and insect stings.

Should You Take Quercetin for Hives? And How Much?

Some people find allergy relief by consuming quercetin-containing foods or taking a quercetin supplement.

However, some people don’t want to constantly watch the foods they eat or restrict their diets. For this reason, they choose a natural supplement that gives them more freedom with their meals. Some people take vitamin C with quercetin, others take quercetin and bromelain for hives.

Quercetin Dosage for Hives:

So how much quercetin should you take for hives? Hoyes Pharmacy recommends taking a dose of 500mg of quercetin 3 times per day. Containers typically suggest consuming the supplements with food.

Note that higher-dose and more potent supplements like quercetin dihydrate and Source Naturals Activated Quercetin provide more nutrients and therefore may have a greater effect.

However, Dr Andrew Weil MD recommends taking the supplement in between meals. He also states that quercetin can take up to 8 weeks to build up to therapeutic levels in the body. (And therefore be effective).

Having said that, take note of your current diet to see if you actually have been eating lots of quercetin foods. You may already have a certain level of the flavonoids built up in your system.

What About Dog Skin Allergies?

Believe it or not, quercetin can provide allergy relief for your dog too. In fact, Fitapet makes natural (and delicious) quercetin-containing chews specifically designed for dogs. No need to try and make them eat pills. =)