Natural Ways To Boost SOD Levels

Given the connection between superoxide and illness, scientists have long sought ways to boost SOD levels in order to combat oxidative damage and reduce the incidence of severity of disease. As one research team noted in a recent journal article, SOD may be an effective antioxidant therapy for managing the detrimental consequences of inflammatory diseases, as well as for mitigating other conditions associated with uncontrolled overpopulation of superoxide.

In the 1980s, scientists attempted to treat osteoarthritis by injecting SOD derived from the blood cells of livestock directly into diseased joint. Relief from inflammation was often dramatic in these early experiments, as the injected SOD scavenged and neutralized pro-inflammatory superoxide anions. This technique was far from practical, however, and was never embraced as a viable treatment for human patients.

Efforts to boost SOD levels did not stop there, however. Turning to nature, scientists discovered that SOD and other primary antioxidants – like glutathione peroxidase and catalase – are produced by certain plants, including the sprouting seeds of crops such as wheat, corn, and soy. These young grains harbor an abundance of powerful antioxidants, which may serve to protect the fledging plants from various environmental insults. Melons also manufacture some of these antioxidant proteins, and fruits with the highest concentrations of these beneficial enzymes have significantly longer shelf lives.

Some plants produce SOD naturally. However, when SOD is ingested in the body, it is quickly destroyed by stomach acids and intestinal enzymes, and virtually no SOD enters the bloodstream. Fortunately, it is possible to boost levels of this important antioxidant by consuming supplements that supply concentrated amounts of appropriate precursor molecules. Wheat sprouts represent one rich source of these SOD-boosting building blocks, and have been shown to significantly increase internal antioxidant levels.

Scientists have proposed that elevated levels of one form of glutathione, the enxyme glutathione reductase, may serve as a predictor of longevity. Falling levels of glutathione are associated with diseases such as AIDS, respiratory diseases and infection, osteoarthritis, Alzheimer’s, and even ageing itself. Conversely, increased levels of glutathione are associated with improvements in these conditions.