Quercetin is an antioxidant. It neutralizes free radicals. While doing so this quercetin changes to a radical molecule. For example it neutralizes 4 radical molecules and becomes a radical molecule with 4 radicals.

Then it sticks to DNA (covalent binding). Because there is no water present there, it stays a radical molecule.

When a cell divides, water nears this molecule so it reacts with water causing OH radicals killing the cell.

Normal cells always repair their entire DNA before cell division, so the radical flavonoid molecule is removed. So normal cells stay unharmed.

Cancer cells divide before they have repaired their entire DNA, so they die.

So it's actually a bomb.

A flavonoid molecule is like a bomb that explodes if it's not removed before a cell tries to divide. Cancer cells that divide before reperation die, because the bomb isn't removed, so it explodes when the cell tries to divide. Normal cells that divide after reperation remove the bomb so they live.

Cancer cells that do completely repair their DNA before cell division aren't cancer cells anymore (they are normal cells) because they have to wait a long time before cell division.

Normal cells that did not completely repair their DNA before cell division can pass a mutation down to daughter cells.

So flavonoids kill only cancer cells but no normal cells.

It's like this:

Normal cell -> completely repaired -> flavonoid bomb removed -> cell divides normal

Cancer cell -> not completely repaired -> flavonoid bomb detonates -> cell killed while it was dividing.

Cancer cell that completely repairs = normal cell.

© 2007 Steven Chang, All Rights Reserved.