Almost every living organism contains superoxide dismutase. It is an endogenous antioxidant, meaning one created internally in the body. One reason it is important is that it provides defense against oxidative stress, which comes from free radicals. In other words, it works as an antioxidant along with other enzymes the body produces, such as catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Oxidative stress is the cause of most diseases - even ones from bacteria, since oxidative stress can lower the immune system and it is also the cause of aging.
There are three different types of superoxide dismutase, with each located in a different part of the cell. SOD1 is in the cell's cytoplasm, the jelly like substance that holds all the parts of the cell. SOD2 is in the mitochondria, the area of the cell that creates energy for the cell. SOD3, also known as EC-SOD, extra cellular superoxide dismutase, is outside the cell and helps prevent free radicals from attacking the cells. It plays an important role in the prevention of atherosclerosis, arthritis and diabetes, while aiding with lung function, vascular tone and metabolizing nitric oxide. SOD1 and SOD3 contain both copper and zinc. SOD2 contains manganese.
Does Superoxide Dismutase Help You Live Longer?
Superoxide dismutase received much investigation in the 1980s by researchers at the Gerontology Research Center sponsored by the NIH. They found that animals producing more SOD lived longer than animals with lower production levels. Rodents produced the lowest amount and humans produced the highest amount. When they used this information to see if increasing the SOD in a species would increase the lifespan of the species, they found that fruit flies bred to produce twice as much SOD lived twice as long. The researchers also found that increasing other antioxidants such as vitamin E and glutathione transferases also increased the lifespan in mammals.
Does Supplementing with SOD Help?
While the evidence that boosting the body's ability to create SOD increases lifespan, it doesn't prove that ingesting oral supplements helps. A group of 12 subjects with the average age of 58, a time when normal levels start to decline, took SOD supplements made from plant material. After two weeks, the oral supplement boosted the levels of SOD in the blood to amounts normally found in much younger individuals. It also increased the amount of catalase, another antioxidant produced by the body, by over 47 percent.
While the study gave impressive results, it was also very small and short-lived to be significant. There are few studies on oral supplementation of SOD to know whether oral supplementation of SOD offers benefits or has side effects. However, there are various medical treatments using injections of SOD.
SOD Health Benefits
Injections of superoxide dismutase are beneficial for interstitial cystitis, a type of bladder infection. Premature babies sometimes receive injections to help treat lung damage developed due to their early birth. Superoxide dismutase benefits also include aid for those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Because of its role in metabolizing nitric oxide, SOD may also have important benefits for those with premature hair loss due to oxidative stress or genetic predisposition. The nitric oxide increases the circulation on the scalp and as a result, more blood flows to the hair follicles. The antioxidant effect of the SOD may also aid in the growth of new hair.
In addition to the anti-aging effect, anti-inflammatory and the benefit to new hair growth, SOD may also play a role in preventing Alzheimer's, senile dementia, heart disease, while it increases energy and cuts healing time after an injury.
SOD Side Effects
Many of the SOD supplements are combinations of plant products, so there are few side effects. However, allergic reaction and specific individual's intolerance for some of the materials used, such as wheat protein for gluten intolerant individuals, may create a problem.
Food Sources
Natural sources of SOD include barley grass, broccoli, wheatgrass, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and most green plants.
