SOD: have we discovered how to limit cellulite?
Still little known to the general public, SuperOxide Dismutase or “SOD” is an enzyme which nevertheless seems to have everything going for it.
We sometimes see it mentioned in popular science articles as an exceptional antioxidant. It also caused a lot of ink to flow a few years ago when it was discovered to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Today SOD still surprises by showing astonishing effectiveness in the fight against cellulite.
This is, among other things, why it has become a key ingredient in premium formulas to support skin aging, such as MyCollagenLift.
But what are the facts behind these allegations? How can SOD offer you beauty benefits? What biochemical reactions are at work and above all how can we make the most of them?
Once again, the MyPureSkin team guides you through the twists and turns of your skin to understand its protection and regeneration mechanisms in order to adopt a suitable beauty routine, guaranteeing firmer skin.
SOD in the face of aging... Why and how to use it?
More than an active ingredient providing its own set of effects, SOD is an enzyme.
In this sense, it has a say in how certain biochemical reactions take place on a daily basis in your body (in particular, it triggers the activation or amplification of the results of certain reactions).
This makes SOD a “support molecule”, functioning perfectly as a team, as long as we know which ingredients to combine it with. How do we know? By letting Science speak.
The benefits of SOD: between therapeutic potential and beauty benefits
Following on from studies such as that published by researcher H. Younus in mid-2018 (1), very recent research on this enzyme, which is still little known to the public, points in the direction of extensive therapeutic potential.
Indeed, in his conclusions, Younus notes that SOD could be used (when it is not already) in the context of various treatments targeting:
- Diabetes problems;
- Certain neurodegenerative diseases;
- Rheumatoid arthritis;
- The risks of ischemia;
- Chronic inflammatory diseases;
- Risks and predispositions to certain types of cancer.
Looking closely at this list, it's hard not to see the predominant area in which SOD can play a significant role: age-related health issues.
Why leave your skin alone to face the aging process?
Indeed, after your twenties, your body gradually slows down the production of certain molecules that we tend to consider as the “markers of youth”.
The concentration of endogenous collagen, in particular, decreases in your skin as you age. The synthesis of hyaluronic acid by your cells also decreases and the quantity of elastin present at each level of your dermis is reduced dramatically... This is skin aging.
Inexorable but negotiable, the process of skin senescence is increasingly seen as a condition which sets in gradually and which remains possible to mitigate to a certain extent. In other words: we can partly “choose how to age”.
The most classic advice given by the medical profession involves regular sporting activity, rest in sufficient quantity and quality as well as nutrition adapted to each stage of life.
But what is less often discussed is the ability of the cosmeceutical industry to produce effective solutions for short and long-term effects, visible to the naked eye.
Nutricosmetics, the pampered child of routines supporting aging and heir to Science, gives us the tools to preserve and prolong part of our young skin. How ? By mobilizing the findings of scientific discoveries on active ingredients such as SOD!
SOD to preserve your skin: how does it work?
Able to be extracted from melon juice, SOD is a natural enzyme that your body produces, among other things. It has actually always been there, by your side, helping to protect your skin.
In a study published in 2015 by Benoît Lemaire's team (2), we discovered that SOD improves the condition of fatty deposits in an astonishing way. To the delight of the forty subjects (women aged 31 to 50) subjected to the clinical trial, oral SOD supplementation significantly reduced cellulite present in strategic areas, leading mainly to:
- A significant reduction in fat deposits on the stomach;
- A notable reduction in adipose tissue located on the thighs.
By limiting the factors that degrade skin quality (some of which promote the appearance of cellulite), SOD proves to be a valuable ally in the quest for firming of the skin.
To understand the mechanisms, we must look at a study focusing on a different subject: the role of SOD in weight control problems and strategies.
The findings of research carried out by doctoral students Prasenjit Manna and Sushil K. Jain in this regard, also published in 2015 (3), highlight two key elements:
- The Manganese-SOD and Copper-SOD complexes are capable of preventing the appearance and/or worsening of insulin resistance (ultimately: diabetes);
- SOD complexes generally make it possible to neutralize free radicals (oxidized molecules with a tendency to attach to other molecules to become electrically neutral again but causing malfunctions in the process because of the chemical bond created).
In this sense, SOD is said to be an enzyme with antioxidant properties since it allows, among other things, to neutralize the superoxide anion (O2-) into hydrogen peroxide according to the following formula:
It is precisely the excess free radicals which lead to a dysfunction of the cells responsible for the production of endogenous collagen and hyaluronic acid. In other words: it is partly oxidative stress which leads to the deterioration of the extracellular matrix (in which your cells are bathed), this famous part of your dermis which gives its firmness and elasticity to your skin!
By reducing the impact of free radicals (thanks to their neutralization by active ingredients such as SOD), well-designed nutricosmetics help protect your skin from cellulite.
SOD at all levels: the biochemical foundations on which cosmeceuticals are based
But how do we obtain an effective food supplement from SOD?
Well, it is by mimicking nature that we can support your body in its fight against oxidative stress.
By combining SOD with other well-known antioxidants (vitamin C for example), it becomes possible to create a complete antioxidant umbrella from inside and outside the cell (like the one offered by MyCollagenLift).
Indeed, SOD is already present in its natural state between the walls of your cell membranes to neutralize the oxidative stress produced internally by mitochondria (cellular organelles playing the role of "energy plants", generating the energy of your cells).
Supplemented via a food supplement as a support molecule, SOD can thus intervene in the extracellular matrix to complement the action of vitamins and trace elements with antioxidant properties.
Extensive benefits can be obtained in this way for the skin, as shown in a study published in 2016 by Marion Dumoulin's team (4) focusing on the effects of a cocktail of active ingredients based on SOD and other antioxidants (including vitamin C). We note in particular:
- A more even and luminous complexion;
- A reduction in skin imperfections;
- An improvement in the firmness of the skin in general.
And this is where Science offers a real solution to cellulite and other markers of age." As the results of the study conducted by Dumoulin show, skin firming goes hand in hand with a reduction in cellulite and some prevention of its appearance, echoing the findings of 2015.
What synergies for a truly effective formula?
Furthermore, when ingredients work together to provide more than their individual benefits, we say there is synergy. In other words, if you combine SOD with certain antioxidants, you get a perfect illustration of the maxim "the whole is more than the sum of its parts."
Vitamins, SOD, collagen and hyaluronic acid: the premium cocktail
The collagen your body naturally produces keeps your skin firm, while the hyaluronic acid your fibroblast cells synthesize keeps it hydrated.
These two active ingredients have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness in formulas to support skin aging (through clinical trials and specialized research).
By combining them with vitamins and SOD, you give yourself the means to act upstream and downstream of the senescence process.
This is confirmed by the results of studies such as that published in 2048 by the team of Nicholas N. DePhillipo (5). We understand that far from acting on the extracellular matrix, the presence of antioxidants (such as vitamin C) could accelerate the process of cellular regeneration of different parts of the anatomy (skin, tendons and bones).
This promising avenue adds to the present and future relevance of premium cocktails based on complementary active ingredients.
MyCollagenLift: when Science combines with Nature to serve you
With expertise recognized both by its customers and its peers, MyPureSkin shines through products such as MyCollagenLift, which have earned it the “Victoires de la Beauté” award.
Furthermore, beyond this social approval, the nutricosmetics carried by our brand have a solid scientific basis. The clinical trial conducted, for example, on the effects of MyCollagenLift showed how this premium food supplement benefits your skin.
Mobilizing active ingredients that make sense both individually and together, the MyCollagenLift formula reveals your natural beauty by stimulating your collagen and hyaluronic acid production mechanisms. Containing, among other things, SOD, this cosmeceutical to support aging also has the advantage of protecting your body from certain factors of premature aging (such as oxidative stress).
In a few words, MyCollagenLift is quite simply the result of an alliance between Nature and Science for the greatest pleasure of your skin thanks to:
- Collagen peptides whose presence allows you to partially replace and above all stimulate your own (endogenous) collagen production;
- Hyaluronic acid (capable of carrying nearly 1000 times its weight in water), guaranteeing well-hydrated skin;
- Vitamins C and E (powerful antioxidants) working to protect your skin against oxidative stress;
- Grape OPCs (polyphenols adding to your protection against free radicals) acting in synergy with vitamins;
- SOD (Super Oxide Dismutase), boosting your defenses against oxidative stress from the inside and outside of your cells to finish drawing your complete antioxidant umbrella;
- Zinc (which combines with SOD but also has anti-inflammatory effects that stimulate your immune system).
Do you want to test its effectiveness? Start a first daily treatment of 4 weeks to benefit from results visible to the naked eye. Progressive, the beauty benefits of MyCollagenLift are revealed in a well-thought-out beauty routine, so don't hesitate to treat yourself now to preserve your quality of life at any age!
Choose a 100% natural formula: choose MyCollagenLift.
- Exploring the therapeutic potential of SOB by H. Younus: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5969776/
- Clinical study of the effects of SOD extracted from melon on cellulite: https://www.lv-pharm.rs/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Clinical-trial-of-a-natural-and-bioactive- melon.pdf
- Research by Prasenjit Manna and Sushil K. Jain on the role of SOD in weight control: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808277/
- Conclusion of the 2016 study published by Marion Dumoulin and colleagues: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5076548/
- Meta-analysis of the synergistic effects of vitamin C and other antioxidants on endogenous collagen synthesis and reduction of oxidative stress: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204628/