Lee Swanson Research Update

SOD Supplement May Help Protect Against Atherosclerosis

April 2007

A superoxide dismutase (SOD) supplement, GliSODin®, in combination with diet and lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, French researchers have reported.

In a study published in the European Annals of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers recruited 76 patients considered to be at risk of cardiovascular disease but with no clinical symptoms of the disease, and assigned them to the Lyon Heart Diet and lifestyle modifications with vigorous oversight by the clinicians for 12 months. Minor improvements in body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and LDL cholesterol were observed.

Due to the stringent conditions of the study, 42 subjects dropped out. The remaining 24 subjects were then randomly divided into two groups to be followed for two more years. One group continued with the diet and lifestyles recommendations only. The second group supplemented with 500 IU of GliSODin SOD.

While no changes in antioxidant status were observed in the control group over the two-year period, the GliSODin-supplemented group saw a significant improvement in antioxidant status and a reduction of 34% in malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive carbonyl compound and a major end product of lipid oxidation, compared to the control.

Researchers used ultrasound-B imaging to measure thickness of the inner layer of the carotid artery, a sign of atherosclerosis, and found that thickness decreased significantly in the SOD group, compared to the control group.

Researchers noted: "Supplementation with GliSODin, a vegetal SOD associated with gliadin, was effective in controlling the thickness of the carotid artery intima and media layers as measured by ultrasonography-B. We could demonstrate the preventive efficacy of GliSODin at a preclinical stage in subjects with risk factors of cardiovascular disease."

European Annals of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 39(2):2-7, 2007

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