Tier 2 — strong

Quercetin prophylaxis in prevention of acute mountain sickness (AMS): a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled phase-II clinical trials

Sarada S K Sagi, Vandana Kirar, Jyotsna Prasad, Somnath Singh, Vaishnavi Rathi, Khudsia Sultana, Vijay Kumar Singh, Saroj Kumar Verma, Dharmendra Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Shiva Saxena, Rajeev Mishra, Vishwendra Vikram Singh, Sneha Chopra, Rajeev Varshney
European journal of nutrition 2026 65(5):208

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42435069
DOI
10.1007/s00394-026-04059-8
Funding
Indexed grant support: Defence Research and Development Organisation — Defence Research and Development Organisation. The indexed list may not contain the complete funding declaration.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. Consent for publication: Approval for both reporting and publishing of this field study has been obtained from the subjects involved.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman intervention research
Sample110 healthy lowland men; 55 per group
InterventionFood bar providing quercetin 500 mg/day or matched bar
Duration15 days, starting 2 days before ascent
EndpointsSource-specific outcomes described in the key findings

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2026, this source examined exercise and recovery. Design: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Sample/model: 110 healthy lowland men; 55 per group. The exposure or intervention was Food bar providing quercetin 500 mg/day or matched bar. Follow-up or treatment period: 15 days, starting 2 days before ascent.

Reported mountain-sickness prevalence was 2% with quercetin and 25% with placebo. Oxygen saturation improved; body-composition outcomes did not differ.

Specific male high-altitude cohort and food-bar intervention. Independent replication is needed before generalizing to travel prophylaxis.

Continue with Quercetin Data Center

For topic-level interpretation, read Quercetin for Exercise: Performance, Recovery and Muscle. This is a related guide; the citation panel separately identifies articles that directly cite this paper.

Key findings

  • Reported mountain-sickness prevalence was 2% with quercetin and 25% with placebo.
  • Oxygen saturation improved; body-composition outcomes did not differ.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Source-specific outcomes described in the key findings.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Food bar providing quercetin 500 mg/day or matched bar; 15 days, starting 2 days before ascent.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Specific male high-altitude cohort and food-bar intervention. Independent replication is needed before generalizing to travel prophylaxis.
  • An individual controlled trial must be interpreted alongside its comparator, sample size, endpoint selection and independent replication. It does not validate a different commercial formulation or a general longevity claim.
  • Source basis: Source check: PubMed abstract and indexed metadata; full methods were not independently confirmed for this entry. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology