Quercetin Dosage Calculator

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) is a ubiquitous plant flavonoid — among the most abundant dietary polyphenols consumed globally, found in onions, apples, capers, and berries. In 2018, the Kirkland laboratory at the Mayo Clinic published the first clinical evidence of senolytic efficacy in humans, demonstrating that the combination of dasatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) + quercetin (1,000 mg/day) for 3 days per week for 3 weeks reduced senescent cell burden in adipose tissue and skin of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Xu et al., Nature Medicine, 2018, PMID 30297767). This paper established quercetin as a clinically relevant senolytic at accessible supplemental doses — a landmark finding in translational ageing research. Senescent cells are metabolically active, non-dividing cells that accumulate with age and secrete a pro-inflammatory cocktail (the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, SASP) comprising IL-6, IL-8, matrix metalloproteases, and reactive oxygen species. This chronic, sterile inflammation ("inflammageing") drives the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Senolytics that selectively eliminate senescent cells without harming normal cells represent a paradigm shift in anti-aging medicine. Quercetin achieves selectivity by inhibiting anti-apoptotic pathways (PI3K/Akt, Bcl-2) that senescent cells depend on for survival while leaving normal cells — which use these pathways less exclusively — relatively unaffected. Additional mechanisms relevant to ageing include CD38 inhibition (NAD⁺ preservation), SIRT1 activation, AMPK activation (metabolic homeostasis), and potent flavonoid antioxidant activity.

How to Take Quercetin

**Continuous antioxidant / CD38 inhibition:** 500–1,000 mg/day with meals. This provides ongoing flavonoid antioxidant activity and CD38 inhibition to support NAD⁺ levels. Quercetin has low oral bioavailability (~1%) due to poor water solubility and rapid intestinal metabolism; liposomal quercetin, quercetin phytosome (Quercefit), or quercetin + bromelain formulations achieve significantly higher plasma concentrations. **Senolytic protocol (intermittent, high-dose):** 1,000–1,500 mg/day for 2 consecutive days per month, taken with a fat-containing meal. This pulse-dosing approach mirrors the dasatinib/quercetin clinical protocols and is intended to clear accumulated senescent cells intermittently rather than through continuous low-level exposure. Combine with fisetin for a broader-spectrum senolytic effect. Three-day pulses are also used: Days 1–3 monthly.

Timing Recommendations

Always take with a fat-containing meal (lipophilic, requires bile for absorption). For the senolytic protocol, the 2-day pulse can be timed monthly or quarterly depending on the user's age and health goals. Some longevity practitioners front-load the senolytic dose on Day 1 and 2 of a 5-day fasting-mimicking diet, where senescent cell vulnerability may be heightened.

Potential Side Effects & Safety

Well tolerated at standard doses. Mild GI symptoms (nausea, headache) at doses ≥ 1,000 mg/day without food. Quercetin inhibits CYP3A4, CYP2C9, and CYP2D6 — potentially significant interactions with cyclosporine, warfarin, and digoxin. Hypothyroid concern: quercetin inhibits thyroid peroxidase (TPO) at high sustained doses; individuals with hypothyroidism should monitor thyroid function.

Best Stacks with Quercetin

The senolytic duo: quercetin (1,000 mg) + fisetin (500–1,000 mg) on 2 consecutive days monthly. The longevity trio: NMN + resveratrol + quercetin. For immune and antiviral support: quercetin + zinc (quercetin is a zinc ionophore — it facilitates zinc entry into cells, where zinc inhibits viral RNA polymerase).

Scientific References

All dosage recommendations are grounded in peer-reviewed research.

1. 1
   Senolytics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Results from a first-in-human, open-label, pilot study

   EBioMedicine · 2019

2. 2
   Quercetin and dasatinib eliminate senescent human cells

   Nature Medicine · 2018