Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
quercetin decreases LDL cholesterol
In plain terms: Does quercetin lower LDL cholesterol?
Part of: 🧪 quercetin
The two largest reviews of the trials (17 studies and 5 studies) both found no change at all. The one review showing a drop covered only people with metabolic syndrome and disagreed with itself so much the result is hard to trust.
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-26 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
The two largest human syntheses find NOTHING. A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs (896 participants) and another of 5 RCTs (442) both report no significant LDL-C change. The one meta-analysis showing a drop is restricted to metabolic-syndrome patients and carries near-total heterogeneity (I2 = 92.
The evidence (11)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badiee MS, Vadizadeh A, Salehcheh M, Moosavi M, Fakhredini F, Kalantar H, Rafiei Asl S, Khodayar MJ 2025 · Avicenna journal of phytomedicine | animal | supports | low | High-fat-diet mice (n=6/group, 43 days): quercetin 50 mg/kg (alone and combined with Camellia sinensis leaf extract) reduced serum LDL cholesterol along with total cholesterol/triglycerides and raised HDL-C. Abstract pools the QCT-alone and |
| Sahebkar A 2017 · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition | meta-analysis | contradicts | moderate | Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (n=442; population not disease-restricted in abstract): LDL-C unchanged (WMD +1.43 mg/dL, 95%CI -0.92 to 3.78, p=0.23). Even the high-dose (≥500 mg/d, ≥4 wk) subgroup left LDL-C unchanged (total cholesterol rose slig |
| Onaolapo A et al 2026 · Research Square | animal | mixed | low | Wistar rats (n=6/group) on a high-fat/high-sugar diet for an unspecified duration; HFHS feeding raised LDL, TC, TG and other markers, and quercetin 100 or 200 mg/kg significantly ameliorated (lowered) LDL along with TC/TG/glucose/insulin, c TEMPERED: unreviewed rat preprint; cannot carry a human LDL claim. |
| Tabrizi R, Tamtaji OR, Mirhosseini N, Lankarani KB, Akbari M, Heydari ST, Dadgostar E, Asemi Z 2020 · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs in metabolic syndrome / related-disorder patients: quercetin significantly reduced LDL-C (SMD=-0.88, 95%CI -1.35 to -0.41, p<0.001), total cholesterol, and CRP. Heterogeneity was very high (I2=92.7% for LDL-C) and t |
| Huang H, Liao D, Dong Y, Pu R 2020 · Nutrition reviews | meta-analysis | contradicts | moderate | Meta-analysis of 17 RCTs (n=896; general/mixed adult population, no disease restriction stated in abstract): quercetin significantly lowered SBP (-3.09 mmHg) and DBP (-2.86 mmHg) but did not change plasma lipid profiles or glucose overall. |
| Abdullah N, Liba AN, Hambali KA, Nordin ML, Ibrahim NI, Harafinova HS, Azzubaidi MSA, Siti HN 2025 · The Medical journal of Malaysia | animal | supports | low | Diet-induced dyslipidemic rabbits (n=4-5/group): quercetin 20 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks reduced total and LDL cholesterol (p<0.05), comparable to atorvastatin 0.43 mg/kg/day, with no effect on HDL or inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, bradykinin |
| Jin D, Jin S, Zhou T, Sheng G, Gao P, Li G 2025 · Food science & nutrition | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Systematic review/meta-analysis of 7 RCTs, 540 patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); quercetin significantly reduced LDL alongside total cholesterol and triglycerides and raised HDL (weighted mean d |
| Jingjing Z, Zixin C, Hang Q 2026 · Journal of health, population, and nutrition | animal | contradicts | moderate | Meta-analysis of 17 studies in animal models of hyperuricemia found quercetin significantly reduced TG and VLDL (p<0.05) but had NO significant effect on LDL-C (p>0.05) — an explicit clean null on this exact endpoint, though authors flag hi |
| Guo W, Gong X, Li M 2019 · Current pharmaceutical design | meta-analysis | mixed | low | Meta-analysis of 9 RCTs in overweight/obese adults: LDL-C unchanged overall (SMD -0.02, 95%CI -0.15 to 0.11), but a post-hoc dose subgroup (≥250 mg/day, total dose ≥14,000 mg) showed a significant LDL-C reduction (SMD -0.58, 95%CI -0.94 to |
| Chen D, Wang J, Lei Z, Qu L, Zou W 2026 · International journal of molecular sciences | animal | mixed | moderate | Preclinical systematic review/meta-analysis, 22 studies, 421 animals (atherosclerosis models); quercetin lowered TC, TG, and LDL-C and raised HDL-C vs control, with best effects at 25-100 mg/kg over an 8-10-week intervention window. No abso TEMPERED: rodent atherosclerosis models cannot carry a human LDL claim above the single disease-restricted human meta-analysis behind it. |
| Ajayi AF, Oluwole DT, Hamed MA, Jegede AJ, Adisa FB, Okeleji LO, Iyiola TO, Akano OP 2026 · Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology | animal | contradicts | low | Male Wistar rats (n=5/group), quercetin 50 mg/kg/day alone for 60 days did not alter baseline lipid parameters vs control, but markedly attenuated MDMA (10 mg/kg/day)-induced dyslipidemia (TC/TG/HDL/LDL) alongside cardiac injury and oxidati RESTANCED: the abstract states quercetin alone did NOT alter baseline lipids — a null on this directional claim is disconfirming, not supporting (CONVENTIONS §5). |
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