Leeks are close relatives of garlic, onions, and chives but have a milder and much sweeter taste. Often called the poor man’s asparagus, leeks are commonly used in soups, pasta, rice, and egg dishes but are equally flavourful on their own. Our question today is, do leeks have quercetin?
Quick Answer: Yes – Leeks do contain quercetin. Compared to other similar foods, their quercetin content is low.
Quercetin Content of Leeks
How much quercetin is in leeks? Leeks only offer 0.09mg/100g of quercetin but are rich in:
- Calcium
- Dietary Fiber
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
Are Leeks High in Quercetin?
Compared to other foods, leeks are low in quercetin.
Let’s take a look at how they compare to 5 similar foods.
- Scallions provide 10.68mg/100g of quercetin, almost 119 times that offered by leeks.
- White onions are much higher in quercetin than leeks containing 8.06mg/100g.
- Chives quercetin content far exceeds that of leeks at 4.77mg/100g.
- Garlic chives edge out leeks in quercetin content with 0.12mg/100g compared to leek’s 0.09.
- Often used as a leek substitute, Celery has 0.39mg/100g of quercetin, more than four times higher than leeks.
Sources:
USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods: https://www.ars.usda.gov/arsuserfiles/80400525/data/flav/flav_r03.pdf
WebMD “Health Benefits of Leeks”: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-leeks#1
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
