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You know the expression, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”? Well, it turns out that this may be true, in part, because of rutin.
Rutin, of the the most important constituents of apple nutrition and some other foods, has a wide array of beneficial effects on our health. Current research suggests that this vital phytochemical has pharmacological benefits for the treatment of a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cancer.
It’s no wonder why it has been a topic of recent research and hat rutin supplements are popular for conditions related to the heart, brain and skin.
What Is Rutin?
Rutin, which is also known as vitamin P and rutoside, is a bioflavonoid that’s found in certain foods, including apples, figs, most citrus fruits, buckwheat and green tea. Like all flavonoids, it has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It’s used as medicine to strengthen blood vessels, improve blood circulation, lower cholesterol and relieve arthritis symptoms.
Rutin is also known for its potential ability to promote the production of collagen and help the body to use vitamin C properly.
The name of the flavonoid comes from the name of the plant Ruta graveolens, which also contains this phytonutrient. Chemically, rutin is a glycoside that comprises flavonolic aglycone quercetin, along with disaccharide rutinose.
Top 7 Rutin Benefits
- • Boosts Heart Health
- • Relieves Arthritis Symptoms
- • Fights Cancer
- • Protects Against Metabolic Disease
- • Protects Brain Health
- • Prevents Blood Clots
- • Improves Circulation
1. Boosts Heart Health
When it comes to your heart health, recent research suggests that rutin can help maintain blood vessel elasticity, reduce blood vessel brittleness, lower capillary permeability and prevent complications caused by hypertension.
A 2018 animal study published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine found that it inhibits heart disease through signaling a specific protein kinases called ERK1/2 and Akt. The most effective rutin dose used on pigs with coronary heart disease was 45 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Rutin administration worked to reduce the size of dead tissue in the heart of pigs with heart disease, inhibited urine protein concentration and improved blood circulation.
Another 2014 animal study published in Human & Experimental Toxicology found that treatment with rutin and quercetin reduced the cardiovascular effects of a high-salt diet in hypertensive rats. In fact, the combination of these bioflavonoids was more effective than treatment with nifedipin, a medication that’s used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain.
2. Relieves Arthritis Symptoms
Animal studies show that this antioxidant has the power to inhibit acute and chronic inflammation. That makes it a potential natural treatment for arthritis. Researchers in Russia found that rutin was able to reduce the overproduction of free radicals in rheumatoid arthritis. They concluded it can be considered a useful supporting pharmaceutical agent.
Additionally, a 2017 lab study published in Pharmacology found that rutin improved the formation of tissue over the joint’s surface, improved cartilage and bone erosion, and reduced inflammation. This suggests that it has a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Fights Cancer
Rutin may serve as a therapeutic agent for fighting cancer because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It also has been shown to induce apoptosis, or cancer cell death, and display anti-tumor effects. Flavonoids have been used to sensitize cancer cells to anticancer drugs and reverse drug resistance for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
There’s a great deal of research involving humans, rodents and cells suggesting that this antioxidant works to reduce tumor size, increase cancer cell death and increase survival time. A scientific review discussing the pharmacological potential of rutin found that the flavonoid has displayed anticancer effects against a number of different cancers, including leukemia, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, liver cancer and lung cancer.
A lab study published in Phytotherapy Research found that this phytochemical works as a chemosensitizer toward two human breast cancer cell lines. Rutin significantly increased the anticancer activity of drugs used to fight cancer and helped successfully stop cell cycle progression.
Another lab study published in the Scientific World Journal found that rutin helps fight neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that’s often found in the adrenal glands of children. It induced cell apoptosis and regulated the expression of genes related to apoptosis.
4. Protects Against Metabolic Disease
Research shows that rutin may protect us from developing metabolic syndrome as we age. Studies involving aged rats found that the flavonoid inhibited the increase of fasting blood glucose, insulin levels and blood pressure.
Rutin administration improved aging-related metabolic dysfunction in rats by reducing inflammation, lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial disease, a disorder that’s caused by failure of the mitochondria that’s found in almost every single cell of the human body.
5. Protects Brain Health
Research suggests that rutin has protective effects against brain injury and age-related damage. It also helps promote brain health because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
In 2018, research published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity suggests that this bioflavonoid serves as a promising neuroprotective compound for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Researchers believe that it protects brain health by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, improving antioxidant enzyme activities and restoring the activities of mitochondrial complex enzymes within our cells.
6. Prevents Blood Clots
Investigators at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that rutin may serve as a novel strategy for preventing thrombosis in animal models. Thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in an artery or vein. Deep vein thrombosis is particularly dangerous because it can cause life-threatening complications, such as strokes and heart attacks.
Researchers found that rutin inhibits protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), which is rapidly secreted from our platelets and endothelial cells during thrombosis. By blocking the secretion of PDI, the antioxidant proved to block thrombosis in mice.
Not only does it inhibit PDI, but it also prevents the compound from entering cells. Researchers found that it helped prevent blood clots in both mouse arteries and veins, and it’s said to be the only agent that can prevent both types of clots.
7. Improves Circulation
In traditional medicine, rutin is known for its ability to strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation. It is used to reduce the appearance of varicose veins, relieve hemorrhoids and prevent hemorrhagic strokes that are caused by broken veins or arteries.
A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences indicates that rutin preparations were reported to significantly reduce leg swelling, relieve leg pain, and reduce leg cramps, heaviness and itching. This is likely due to its ability to reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation.
How to Get More Rutin in Your Diet (Top 20 Rutin Foods)
Rutin is a flavonoid that’s found in many foods and plants, including citrus fruits, apples and buckwheat. The best way to get it into your diet is to eat foods high in this particular antioxidant.
Rutin is one of the active constituents in the following foods and plants:
- • Apples
- • Buckwheat
- • Capers
- • Olives
- • Passion flower (used in teas and infusions)
- • Black
- • Green tea
- • Amaranth leaves
- • Elderflower (used in teas and extracts)
- • Figs
- • Ginkgo biloba (available in supplement and dried leaf forms)
- • Onions
- • Apricots
- • Cherries
- • Grapes
- • Grapefruit
- • Plums
- • Oranges
- • Asparagus
- • Black olives
Rutin Supplement and Dosage Recommendations
Rutin is available as a supplement in most health food or vitamin stores. You can find a product that contains only rutin or one that contains a mixture of bioflavonoids, such as a bioflavonoid complex. For this reason, the amount of this particular flavonoid in a product varies greatly.
You’ll find that most rutin supplements on the market today contain 500 milligrams per capsule. There is no clear recommended rutin dosage, with doses ranging from 500 milligrams per day to four grams per day.
One study indicates that taking up to four grams orally per day is an effective and well-tolerated dose. However, this is much higher than the standard dose recommended on supplement products, so consult your health care provider before taking larger doses.
Rutin vs. Quercetin
Rutin is a glycoside of the flavonoid quercetin. It comes from the combination of quercetin and the disaccharide (a sugar) rutinose. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as purple quercetin.
Quercetin is also a type of flavonoid antioxidant that’s found in plants, including berries, broccoli and leafy greens. Quercetin is taken in capsule or tablet forms to fight oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, boost circulation and reverse cognitive impairment.
Both of these supplements are widely available. They can be found in many forms, with the amount of the active ingredient varying from product to product.
Precautions and Side Effects
Generally, rutin is considered safe when taken in recommended doses and consumed in foods. There have been reports of minor rutin side effects, including headache, rashes, upset stomach and flushing. Before starting any new supplement, consult with your health care provider, especially if you already take prescription medications.
It is possible to have a rutin allergy. Symptoms include eye and respiratory irritation and adverse skin reactions.
Rutin is not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing because there is not enough evidence to be sure that it’s safe under these circumstances.
Final Thoughts
Rutin is a bioflavonoid that’s found in certain plants. It comprises quercetin and rutinose, and it gets its name from the plant Ruta graveolens.
Like all flavonoids, it has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. When consumed naturally in foods or taken in supplement form, this antioxidant has the power to benefit the health of your heart, brain, blood vessels and skin.
Some of the best sources of this powerful antioxidant include apples, figs, most citrus fruits, buckwheat, capers and black tea.
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Rutin Benefits - Rutin for Hemorrhoids, Blood Vessels and Other Health Conditions
What is rutin? Rutin is a complex sugar found in abundance in buckwheat, and also in lesser amounts in asparagus, rhubarb, and the peels and rinds of citrus fruit. The name rutin comes from Ruta graveolens, the scientific name of the herb common rue, which also contains rutin. Before 1950, rutin was called "vitamin P," although it is not actually a vitamin.
Rutin can combine with heavy metals, binding them, and preventing them from causing toxic effects. In the human body, rutin can remove excess iron and copper. However, it can also prevent calcium, iron, and magnesium from being absorbed from food, so rutin should not be taken with mineral supplements or with meals.
Health Benefits of Rutin
There are a number of beneficial effects of rutin in the human body. Here are just a few:
- Rutin counteracts platelet-activating factor (PAF), which causes blood clot formation and which triggers the inflammatory reactions of allergies.
- Rutin counteracts aldose reductase, an enzyme that transforms glucose sugar into a sugar alcohol called sorbitol. Sorbitol can thicken the lenses of the eyes and the linings of the nerves, causing damage to sight and sensation.
- Rutin can reduce the rate at which oxidized LDL cholesterol attracts the white blood cells that transform it into the plaque that hardens arteries.
- Rutin is a mild anti-inflammatory agent and a strong antioxidant. And, most importantly,
- Rutin strengthens the linings of blood vessels throughout the body, reducing bleeding and preventing collapse.
Rutin for Blood Vessels
The greatest benefits of rutin are in treating unsightly varicose veins in the legs and treating swollen varicose veins around the anus known as hemorrhoids.
A derivative of rutin known as hydroxyethylrutoside (or more precisely a trihydroxyethylrutoside) treats a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency, in which the valves in the veins in the legs cannot pump enough oxygen-poor blood back to the heart.
Chronic venous insufficiency can cause night-and-day itching of the legs, patches of dark brown pigmentation, and varicose eczema, with a high risk of infection.
Rutin and rutin derivatives also treat hemorrhoids and varicose veins during pregnancy, phlebitis caused by birth control pills, and spider veins on the face, thighs, or ankles.
Hesperidin and Rutin
Rutin is usually formulated with another plant flavonoid called hesperidin in nutritional supplements. Rutin is technically a "citrus bioflavonoid," but not all products labeled as "citrus bioflavonoids" actually contain rutin. Hydroxyethylrutosides are a separate product that may be formulated with yet another plant chemical called aescin, which is derived from horse chestnut seeds.
Healing Hemorrhoids
- In addition to rutin and other citrus bioflavonoids, be sure to get enough fiber from your diet and fiber supplements. If you don't eat enough fiber to stay regular now, don't start eating the recommended 30 grams of fiber a day all at once. Build up to 30 grams of fiber a day over a period of 3 or 4 weeks to prevent bloating and gas. It also helps to take probiotic supplements, since probiotic bacteria digest the fiber into forms that lubricate the stool and reduce pressure on hemorrhoids.
- It also helps to take citrus bioflavonoids containing diosmin and/or hesperidin, in a dosage of 1,000 mg a day. You can use a supplement that contains all three of the trio of diosmin, hesperidin, and rutin, or use supplements that contain just one or two of the three healing ingredients.
- Products that offer aescin from horse chestnut seeds help shrink external hemorrhoids. Users often find that personal hygiene is easier when they take aescin.
- Drink eight or more glasses of water each day to keep the stool moist.
- Eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit daily. If you don't eat fruit and vegetables now, start with just 2 or 3 servings a day and and one daily serving of fruits and vegetables each week until you finally are eating the recommended 5 to 9 servings a day.
- Be sure to take at least 500 mg of vitamin C every day if you take rutin, diosmin, or hesperidin.
- These bioflavonoids may interfere with your body's ability to absorb vitamin C from food, and they work with vitamin C to encourage the production of collagen that strengthens veins.
Healing Varicose Veins
- Consider wearing support stockings. They are hard to put on and uncomfortable to wear, but they typically reduce the size of varicose veins about 20% in three months. They are also the least expensive treatment for varicose veins.
- In addition to taking rutin, take gotu kola, at least 60 mg a day, and preferably 120 mg a day. Gotu kola is especially useful for shrinking swollen ankles. Gotu kola creams applied to the skin over the ankles will also relieve swelling.
- Products that offer aescin from horse chestnut seeds also help strengthen varicose veins.
Healing Venous Insufficiency
- Venous insufficiency is often misdiagnosed as peripheral arterial disease, and vice versa. If you have venous insufficiency of the legs, you will feel more uncomfortable when sitting down than when walking. If you have peripheral arterial disease, you will feel more uncomfortable when walking than when sitting down. Moist heat makes legs affected by venous insufficiency feel less comfortable. Moist heat makes legs affected by peripheral arterial disease feel more comfortable. Compression stockings feel good on legs affected by venous insufficiency. Compression stockings feel like tourniquets on legs affected by venous insufficiency.
- The treatments that support recovery from varicose veins also help venous insufficiency. Do not use compression stockings unless you are sure you do not have peripheral arterial disease.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rutin
Q. Will rutin supplements help erase spider veins?
A. Spider veins, also known as telangiectasia, are tiny broken blood vessels just under the surface of the skin. They are most common on the nose, around the eyes, and across the cheeks, but they can also occur on the ankles, on the upper thigh, and just below the knees.
Pregnancy is the prime time for developing spider veins. There is an increase in the mother's total blood volume, making it difficult for the valves in the veins to fight gravity so that deoxygenated blood can recirculate to the heart. A hormone called relaxin dilates connective tissues all over the body to prepare the cervix for childbirth. Later in pregnancy, the weight of the uterus can cut off circulation in veins bringing blood back to the heart from the ankles, knees, and thighs.
Pregnant women should always consult with their obstetricians regarding all nutritional supplements, but rutin is generally accepted as safe for use during pregnancy. Author Susun Weed suggests that it might be used to prevent implantation of the fertilized egg to avoid pregnancy, but rutin will not interfere with the unborn child's development once pregnancy has begun.
Rosacea also causes spider veins. Many people who use rutin products find that they help relieve both the rosacea and the spider veins.
Q. Can rutin supplements be used to treat schizophrenia?
A. There were two clinical trials in Australia the 1980's that found improvements on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for a small number of schizophrenics who were given the commercial hydroxyethylrutoside supplements Paroven and Venoruton. Half of the patients given the supplements showed improvement in anxiety, depression, delusions, and unusual behavior. Dosing was according to the manufacturer's label.
Q. What about rutin for cats?
A. There is a single case report in the literature of veterinary medicine about using rutin to treat a condition called chylothorax in one cat. Chylothorax is an accumulation of a milky, protein-filled fluid in the space between the lungs and the muscles in the wall of the chest. It is usually treated with a low-fat diet along with frequent trips to the vet to have fluid drawn out of the chest cavity with a syringe.
In this study, giving the cat a single 500 mg capsule of rutin every day doubled lung volume in 20 days by shrinking the swelling around the lungs. Over the next 60 days, the cat's lung volume increased another 30%.
The veterinarian writing the study commented that cats apparently have no objection to the taste or odor of rutin, but cautioned that sometimes cats get over chylothorax spontaenously, and it was not possible to be absolutely sure the effect was due to rutin.
Q. Can rutin be used to treat bruising?
A. Yes, but my first choice would be diosmin with hesperidin. It's OK to use rutin or aescin (horse chestnut seed extract) in addition to diosmin with hesperidin. If the bruising is a reaction to treatment with prescription blood thinners, rutin may interfere with the action of the drug. Don't take rutin if you are also taking Coumadin, Plavix, Trental, or any other prescription blood thinning medication without a doctor's supervision.
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