There’s a new study on the effects of smart energy drink ingredient, quercetin, by the Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. They found some great health benefits of quercetin which can be found in some energy drinks.

They were looking at the effects of quercetin on certain cells in the prostate. More specifically: cancer cells. Too early to make health benefit claims, but this study evaluating the effects of the dietary flavonoid quercetin certainly look promising. Quercetin inhibited cell proliferation and modulated the expression of genes involved in DNA repair, matrix degradation and tumor invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle, metabolism and glycolysis.

Uh, that’s good for quercetin, bad for cancer.

In fact, they said that this may be an “efficacious anticancer agent” …. “to be used in the future nutritional transcriptomic investigations and multi-target therapy to overcome the therapeutic impediments against prostate cancer.” Basically, it should be used in future studies of genes (RNA) to help with the killing of cancer cells (in the prostate.) Notice: you have to say in the prostate, because no one knows if it works on other cancer cells, because only prostate cancer cells were used in the study. That’s because they are scientists. I’m not.

So if it works on one, I say why not try it? It’s not like you need a prescription for quercetin. It occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables and is also in energy drinks. What could it hurt? (Please do ask your doctor first, I am making no medical claims, because besides not being a scientist, I am also not a doctor. What do I know? Maybe it could hurt. But I’m guessing it may help.)

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