About SOD
Superoxide dismutase is an endogenous antioxidant enzyme. The important caveat for scoring: naked oral SOD is destroyed by stomach acid and has no established systemic effect. Meaningful oral evidence exists ONLY for the gliadin-protected/wheat-complexed form (GliSODin): a placebo-controlled trial showed it raised endogenous antioxidant defenses (Vouldoukis 2004, PMID 15742357), and a 2022 double-blind RCT reported benefits for aging-related motor function; the ingredient has 30+ publications, mostly on this patented protected form. Graded 'low' overall — moderate-quality evidence exists but is confined to the protected complex and largely industry-associated. A product listing plain 'Superoxide Dismutase' without gliadin/melon protection should not be credited as orally active. Not an essential nutrient.
What SOD supports
- Protected (GliSODin) form may boost the body's own antioxidant defenses
- Unprotected oral SOD is destroyed by digestion — form matters
How much SOD to take
The RDA prevents deficiency. The effective range is what clinical trials used to actually move the outcome.
Effective
250–500
mg
250–500 mg/day of the GLIADIN-PROTECTED form (GliSODin / melon-SOD-gliadin), the only form with oral evidence. Anchored to Vouldoukis 2004 (PMID 15742357) and the 2022 melon-GliSODin aging RCT. ⚠️ Unprotected SOD (plain 'superoxide dismutase' in an enzyme blend) is denatured in the gut and has no established oral bioactivity — the dose range applies only to the protected complex.
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. Oral evidence limited to the gliadin-protected GliSODin form; plain SOD not orally bioactive
NIH Fact Sheet