Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) & Glisodin to protect your skin

Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is one of the most powerful antioxidants and an excellent remedy to prevent and treat fatigue, cancer, skin damage, CVDs, dementia, skin cancer, and other health problems.

For instance, sun radiation generates a powerful radical called superoxide which is damaging to the skin DNA. However, under normal circumstances our body can easily handle superoxide from the sun by making its own powerful antioxidants such as SOD which protects the skin by neutralizing superoxide as well as many other free radicals. Our body is created in such a wonderful way that it has an amazing abilities to even transform harmful chemicals into something beneficial. And SOD is one of the tools our body uses to perform this task. Our liver start the process by making SOD which converts a “bad” free superoxide radical to hydrogen pyroxide (see the picture below), which is less harmful than the previous radical but still not safe. The liver, however, produces two other powerful antioxidant enzymes catalase and GPx (glutathione peroxidase) and they finish the work started by SOD by converting hydrogen pyroxide into something beneficial, water and oxygen.

This powerful example explains why we should always take care of the condition of our liver so that it could make enough of those antioxidants (catalase, glutathione, and SOD). In addition we also need to make sure we regularly consume foods which contain them.

The problem starts when oxidative free radicals are in excess and when there is deficiency of antioxidants such as SOD, glutathione, catalase, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, lutein, etc. In this case the free radicals win the war with antioxidants and damage the walls of the cells and DNA transforming normal cells into abnormal ones (cancer cells).

SOD, as well as other two powerful antioxidants glutathione and catalase, are naturally produced in our livers. The problem however is that liver is often exhausted by constantly trying to detoxify the body due to unhealthy lifestyle, toxic diet, chemicals, pollution, drugs, stimulants, etc., that make it unable to produce sufficient amount of SOD, catalase and glutathione.

There are also a few food sources of Superoxide Dismutase such as Honey dew melons, Barley grass juice, or Spirulina. The most well-known barley grass enzyme is superoxide dismutase (SOD) and because of that many athletes take this well-known antioxidant to counteract the large amounts of free radicals which are produced by aerobic exercise. Spirulina is regarded as the world’s highest natural source of SOD.

Unfortunately, as we get older we are less able to produce enough of those extremely important antioxidants and food sources (including melon, spirulina and barley grass) are too low in SOD to meet the needs of most of us. For this reason, it is necessary to provide the body with good quality SOD supplements. However, keep in mind that regular SOD supplements are not very effective as they are mostly destroyed in the digestive tract. Fortunately, there is a newer form of SOD called glisodin (GliSODin), which is a natural product made from SOD extracted from cantaloupe melon (high in superoxide dismutase) that has been integrated with gliadin (a protein from wheat), which protects it from degradation in the digestive system. GliSODin has been proven by research to substantially raise the body’s levels of SOD. This means we now have a very powerful way to protect our skin from the damaging effect of superoxide produced by sun radiation and against other radicals. By catalysing the breakdown of free superoxide radicals into harmless hydrogen molecules, Glisodin SOD removes harmful oxygen molecules before they have a chance to radicalise our cell structure.

Glisodin is now offered by numerous manufacturers (just google “glisodin” and you will find them) and here you have one example: GLISODIN SOD Gliadin Complex 300mg 60 caps, by Swanson Ultra. This formula protects the SOD from inactivation in the digestive tract and provides potent protection for your skin, eyes, joints, cardiovascular system and more.

Ingredients: GliSODin Superoxide Dismutase/Gliadin (from wheat) Complex (300 IU of SOD activity), Catalase (another powerful antioxidant and also fungal enzyme naturally produced in the liver) (25,000 catalase units/gram) (from Aspergillus niger), L-Glutathione (L-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine) (reduced), Rice flour, maltodextrin, gelatine, may contain one or both of the following: magnesium stearate, silica.

As a dietary supplement, take one capsule one to two times per day with water. I would take no more than 1 a day as there is always a risk that your liver may stop making its own SOD.

WARNING: This product contains gliadin (from wheat) and therefore it is contraindicated if you are Gluten Intolerant or if you, if you are allergic to wheat products, or have celiac disease.

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