Reviewed
Verified by SAC team
+20
XP on completion
Best Value
NOW Foods

NOW Foods Quercetin with Bromelain Review

This is the bottle most people picture when they think 'quercetin with bromelain': 800 mg quercetin plus 165 mg bromelain per two-cap serving, 240 caps, from a GMP-audited house brand. It's excellent value and a sensible on-ramp. The trade-off is that this is unenhanced quercetin, so despite the big label numbers, absorption trails the phytosomes.

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Read the complete Quercetin guide →
▸ THE SCORE

How we built the SAC Product Score™7.3/10

Bioavailability / Form30%6/10

Plain (non-phytosome) quercetin dihydrate, so intrinsic absorption is low. Bromelain is added on a plausible-but-thin synergy rationale rather than strong human absorption data, so the high label dose does the heavy lifting.

Dose vs Clinical Range20%8.2/10

800 mg quercetin per serving sits comfortably in the dose range used in exercise/URTI trials like Nieman 2007, and the high dose partly offsets poor absorption.

Third-Party Testing / Purity20%7.2/10

UL/NPA GMP certification, non-GMO and vegan from an established brand. Reliable QC, though not the boutique third-party pedigree of Thorne.

Tolerability & Safety15%7.5/10

Well tolerated; bromelain can rarely cause GI upset or matters for those on blood thinners or with pineapple allergy. Otherwise low-risk at label dose.

Value15%8.4/10

240 caps (120 servings) for ~$23 is outstanding cost-per-serving from a mainstream brand, the reason it earns the value badge.

▸ SPECS

The product at a glance

Form
Plain quercetin + bromelain, veg capsule
Dose
800 mg quercetin + 165 mg bromelain per 2-cap serving
Count
240 veg capsules (120 servings)
Standardization
UL/NPA GMP, Non-GMO, vegan
Testing
GMP-audited facility
Cost per dose
~$0.19 per 2-cap serving (~$23/120)
▸ TRUTH CHECK

Marketing claims vs. reality

Not verified

Bromelain meaningfully boosts quercetin absorption

The quercetin-bromelain synergy is a long-standing formulator rationale, but there's no robust human pharmacokinetic trial showing bromelain increases quercetin bioavailability; it remains mechanistic/traditional.

Partial

800 mg quercetin daily supports immune/allergy health

Doses in this range were tested by Nieman 2007 (PMID 17805089) and Heinz 2010 (PMID 20132888); results show reduced sick days in some subgroups but no consistent whole-population immune benefit.

▸ THE DEEP DIVE

What our test actually found

01Value is the real story

At roughly 19 cents a serving for a trusted GMP brand, this is the cheapest credible way to try the classic combo. For a first bottle, that matters more than a marginal absorption edge.

02The label dose is compensating, not proving

800 mg looks impressive, but part of that number exists to offset how little plain quercetin is absorbed. Don't read the big figure as a sign of superior efficacy over a lower-dose phytosome.

▸ THE TRADE-OFFS

Pros & cons, no sugar-coating

Pros
  • Excellent value: 120 servings from a trusted mainstream brand
  • Classic quercetin + bromelain allergy/immune pairing
  • Study-aligned 800 mg per-serving quercetin dose
  • UL/NPA GMP, non-GMO, vegan
Cons
  • Plain quercetin is poorly absorbed versus phytosome formats
  • Bromelain synergy claim lacks solid human absorption data
  • Two-cap serving size and larger daily pill load
▸ THE BOTTOM LINE

The value default for the classic combo

If you want the traditional quercetin-bromelain formula cheaply from a brand you can trust, NOW is the pick. Just be clear-eyed that the big dose is partly compensating for low absorption, and a phytosome will deliver more quercetin per milligram swallowed.

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▸ ALTERNATIVES

If this doesn’t fit — try these

▸ RESEARCH

Sources & further reading

  1. Nieman DC, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(9):1561-1569.Nieman DC, Henson DA, Gross SJ, et al. · 2007 · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · PMID 17805089

    Quercetin reduces illness but not immune perturbations after intensive exercise

    1000 mg/day quercetin reduced URTI incidence in cyclists after heavy exertion without altering measured immune markers.

  2. Heinz SA, et al. Pharmacol Res. 2010;62(3):237-242.Heinz SA, Henson DA, Austin MD, et al. · 2010 · Pharmacological Research · PMID 20478383

    Quercetin supplementation and upper respiratory tract infection

    No overall URTI reduction in a general community, with benefit limited to a fitter older subgroup.