Melon SOD (GliSODin)

Also called GliSODin, melon superoxide dismutase, SOD, superoxide dismutase, Extramel, Cucumis melo extract.

Best grade D across 6 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 9 sources

Evidence is small and mostly industry-linked. In two rowing trials (19 and 28 athletes), GliSODin raised antioxidant enzyme activity and lowered inflammation markers. A 6-month trial in 46 women with joint or back pain found no significant difference from placebo. A 70-person stress trial used Extramel, a related melon extract.

Quick pick

Source Naturals SOD Power (GliSODin), 250 mg, 60 Tabs

from HerbsPro

Its name matches gliSODin (melon SOD with wheat gliadin), one of the forms compared in our Forms table.

Label: 1 tablet: 250 mg GliSODin superoxide dismutase/gliadin complex (250 IU).

Contains wheat (gluten).

Best for trying one bottle: $34.29 one-time (checked Oct 15, 2026).

Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

Partner links may earn us a commission. How partner links work

How we chose: Momentous is the partner brand we list first, so its product leads whenever the Where to buy list has one for this compound or a form in our Forms table. Otherwise, among partner brands that passed our vetting without conditions (others only when none sells it), the first product in that list whose name matches a form in our Forms table, else the first one listed. Not a claim that it works: check the amount per serving against the studied doses and limits.

Every graded outcome on this page

6 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade DSunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose)Skinn 88
  2. Grade DCarotid artery wall thicknessArteriesn 76
  3. Grade DPerceived stress and fatigueStressn 70
  4. Grade DMuscle damage, inflammation and rowing powerExercisen 28
  5. Grade DAntioxidant status and inflammation after a 2,000 m testExercisen 19
  6. No effectKnee and lower-back symptoms in older womenJoints and mobilityn 46
  7. 3 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

What it is
Superoxide dismutase from a melon concentrate; GliSODin pairs it with wheat gliadin83
Athletes
Red-cell SOD activity rose and CRP fell vs placebo in 19 rowers over 6 weeks4
Joint and back pain (46 women)
No significant difference from placebo after 6 months; only trends3
Stress and fatigue
Extramel (140 IU SOD a day) improved stress and fatigue scores vs placebo in 70 adults6
Doses tested
500 mg a day of GliSODin; 10 to 20 mg a day of Extramel436

What it is

Melon SOD is a cantaloupe extract rich in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase; GliSODin binds it to wheat gliadin, Extramel does not.

How it works

Proposed

GliSODin combines melon SOD with gliadin, a wheat protein used as a carrier. In rowers, red-cell SOD activity rose after supplementation; whether the oral enzyme is absorbed intact is not established.48

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Melon SOD (GliSODin) forms compared

2 forms
Melon SOD (GliSODin) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 formsGliSODin (melon SOD with wheat gliadin)Extramel melon juice concentrate (no gliadin)
Absorption in peopleNot measured directly; red-cell SOD activity rose in rowers.4Not measured.6
GI toleranceThe 2022 trial excluded people with wheat or melon allergy (full text); no safety problems are reported in the athlete abstracts.34No adverse effects over 4 weeks.6
Studied forExercise stress, joint and back symptoms, arteriesStress and fatigue, sunburn threshold
  1. GliSODin (melon SOD with wheat gliadin)
    Absorption in people
    Not measured directly; red-cell SOD activity rose in rowers.4
    GI tolerance
    The 2022 trial excluded people with wheat or melon allergy (full text); no safety problems are reported in the athlete abstracts.34
    Studied for
    Exercise stress, joint and back symptoms, arteries
  2. Extramel melon juice concentrate (no gliadin)
    Absorption in people
    Not measured.6
    GI tolerance
    No adverse effects over 4 weeks.6
    Studied for
    Stress and fatigue, sunburn threshold
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

6 graded outcomes, largest study first

6 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2018 randomized trial of 88 people on sunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose), found an improvement.

1. Sunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose): improved, 88 people12. Carotid artery wall thickness: improved, 76 people23. Perceived stress and fatigue: improved, 70 people35. Muscle damage, inflammation and rowing power: improved, 28 people56. Antioxidant status and inflammation after a 2,000 m test: improved, 19 people6
4. Knee and lower-back symptoms in older women: no effect, 46 people4

1Sunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose)

Improved · Grade D · RCT, 88 people, 2018

Healthy adults in four groups of 22 (oral, cream, both, or placebo)

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Sunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose)Improved88Grade D · RCT, 2018Healthy adults in four groups of 22 (oral, cream, both, or placebo)
Carotid artery wall thicknessImproved76Grade D · RCT, 2007Active adults aged 30 to 60 with cardiovascular risk factors in France
Perceived stress and fatigueImproved70Grade D · RCT, 2009Healthy adults aged 30 to 55 with daily stress and fatigue in France
Knee and lower-back symptoms in older womenNo effect46No-effect grade · RCT, 2022Japanese women aged 50 to 80 with knee or lower-back pain or discomfort
Muscle damage, inflammation and rowing powerImproved28Grade D · RCT, 2022International-level rowers in Serbia
Antioxidant status and inflammation after a 2,000 m testImproved19Grade D · RCT, 2011Polish national-team rowers at a training camp
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

6 rows

Showing 6 of 6 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade DSunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose)SkinHigher sunburn thresholdRCT
n 88 · 2018

Improved Oral and/or topical melon concentrate raised the minimal erythema dose; skin-explant lab work in the same paper not counted.

Design
RCT, n = 88, 2018
Population
Healthy adults in four groups of 22 (oral, cream, both, or placebo)
Form
Melon concentrate (Extramel-type, no gliadin)
Dose
20 mg a day (280 U SOD, full text), with or without a cream
Duration
Not stated in the abstract
Source
Reference 7 · PubMed 29614719 (opens PubMed)
Grade DCarotid artery wall thicknessArteriesReported slower thickeningRCT
n 76 · 2007

Improved The authors report GliSODin controlled carotid intima-media thickness on ultrasound; the abstract gives no numbers.

Design
RCT, n = 76, 2007
Population
Active adults aged 30 to 60 with cardiovascular risk factors in France
Form
GliSODin
Dose
Not stated in the abstract
Duration
Not stated in the abstract
Source
Reference 2 · PubMed 17441415 (opens PubMed)
Grade DPerceived stress and fatigueStressLess stress and fatigueRCT
n 70 · 2009

Improved Stress and fatigue signs, quality of life and perceived stress improved vs placebo; no adverse effects.

Design
RCT, n = 70, 2009
Population
Healthy adults aged 30 to 55 with daily stress and fatigue in France
Form
Extramel melon juice concentrate (no gliadin)
Dose
10 mg a day (140 IU SOD)
Duration
4 weeks
Source
Reference 6 · PubMed 19754931 (opens PubMed)
Grade DMuscle damage, inflammation and rowing powerExerciseLess muscle damage, more powerRCT
n 28 · 2022

Improved Creatine kinase (p = 0.049) and IL-6 (p = 0.035) were lower before exercise, and power output at 4 mmol/L lactate rose more (p = 0.020) than placebo.

Design
RCT, n = 28, 2022
Population
International-level rowers in Serbia
Form
GliSODin
Dose
500 mg a day (2 x 250 mg capsules, full text)
Duration
6 weeks
Source
Reference 5 · PubMed 36290341 (opens PubMed)
Grade DAntioxidant status and inflammation after a 2,000 m testExerciseMore SOD activity, less CRPRCT
n 19 · 2011

Improved Red-cell SOD activity was higher (p = .0037) and CRP lower (p = .00001) than placebo; oxidative damage from exhaustive exercise did not change.

Design
RCT, n = 19, 2011
Population
Polish national-team rowers at a training camp
Form
GliSODin
Dose
500 mg a day (2 capsules)
Duration
6 weeks
Source
Reference 4 · PubMed 21558574 (opens PubMed)
No effectKnee and lower-back symptoms in older womenJoints and mobilityNo significant differenceRCT
n 46 · 2022

No effect Symptom scores, oxidative markers and TNF-alpha only trended better; no outcome differed significantly from placebo at 6 months.

Design
RCT, n = 46, 2022
Population
Japanese women aged 50 to 80 with knee or lower-back pain or discomfort
Form
Melon GliSODin
Dose
500.4 mg a day
Duration
6 months
Source
Reference 3 · PubMed 35628874 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Biggest positive results come from small athlete trials

The two positive GliSODin trials had 19 and 28 rowers, while the longest trial (46 women, 6 months) found no significant difference.453

How we got this: Sizes and outcomes of the 2011 and 2022 rowing RCTs vs the 2022 locomotive RCT

Two different melon products

Stress and skin trials used gliadin-free Extramel at 10 to 20 mg, not GliSODin at 500 mg, so their results do not transfer directly.67

How we got this: Forms and doses in the 2009 and 2018 trials

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 10 mg a day of Extramel for 4 weeks to about 500 mg a day of GliSODin for 6 weeks to 6 months.643

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Melon SOD and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Melon SOD.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

3 groups
Celiac disease and wheat allergy
GliSODin contains wheat gliadin, the segment of the gluten protein involved in the inappropriate immune response of celiac disease. The 2022 GliSODin trial excluded people allergic to wheat or melon. The melon concentrates used in the stress trial (Extramel) and the skin trial (an Extramel-type concentrate) contain no gliadin.936
Medicines and surgery
No published drug-interaction studies or case reports for melon SOD were found in the sources cited here, so interaction data are limited. NCCIH advises that supplements may interact with medications or pose risks before surgery, and to tell your health care providers about everything you use.1
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.1
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

3 checks
GliSODin contains wheat

GliSODin pairs melon SOD with wheat gliadin, and the 2022 trial excluded people allergic to wheat or melon. Extramel is the gliadin-free melon extract used in the stress and skin trials.36

SOD activity units

Melon extracts are labeled by SOD activity as well as weight: in the stress trial, 10 mg of Extramel supplied 140 IU of SOD, and the skin trial used 20 mg (280 U). Weight alone does not show enzyme activity.67

Match the studied amount

GliSODin trials used about 500 mg a day; the gliadin-free Extramel-type trials used 10 to 20 mg a day. A product's label shows which extract it contains and how much per serving.4367

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, melon sod (glisodin) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Where to buy Melon SOD (GliSODin)

Products from brands we partner with that contain Melon SOD (GliSODin). Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.

Melon SOD (GliSODin) products from partner brands

1 product
  • Quick pickHerbsProSource Naturals SOD Power (GliSODin), 250 mg, 60 Tabs

    1 tablet: 250 mg GliSODin superoxide dismutase/gliadin complex (250 IU); two tablets match the 500 mg a day used in the rowing trials. Contains wheat (gluten)

    $34.29one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
    Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

Listing a product is not a claim that it works; check the amount per serving against the doses studied, and the label for other ingredients.Prices and labels are from each brand’s own site on the date shown; confirm before you buy.

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Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

8 answers
Does GliSODin help athletes?

In two small rowing trials (19 and 28 athletes), 500 mg a day raised SOD activity and lowered inflammation and muscle-damage markers vs placebo.45

Does it help joint or back pain?

A 6-month trial in 46 women found only trends, with no significant difference from placebo.3

Does melon SOD help stress?

In 70 stressed adults, 10 mg a day of Extramel improved stress and fatigue scores over 4 weeks. The trial was funded by the product's sellers.6

Is GliSODin safe?

No adverse effects are reported in the cited abstracts, but GliSODin contains wheat gliadin. NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about any supplement you use.631

Does melon SOD interact with medicines?

No published interaction studies or case reports were found in the sources cited here, so data are limited. NCCIH notes that supplements can interact with medications and advises telling your health care providers about everything you use.1

Is melon SOD safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?

It has not been studied in pregnant or breastfeeding women in the trials cited here. NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.1

What is GliSODin?

A melon extract rich in superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme, combined with wheat gliadin. Extramel is a related melon concentrate without gliadin.86

Is GliSODin gluten-free?

No. GliSODin combines melon SOD with wheat gliadin, part of the gluten protein that triggers celiac disease, and its 2022 trial excluded people with wheat allergy. Extramel is the related melon extract without gliadin.936

Sources

9 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

9 sources
  1. 1Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
  2. 2GliSODin, a vegetal sod with gliadin, as preventative agent vs. atherosclerosis, as confirmed with carotid ultrasound-B imaging.RCT Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol, 2007 · PMID 17441415
  3. 3Clinical Efficacy of Melon GliSODin(®) for the Treatment of Aging-Related Dysfunction in Motor Organs-A Double Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study.RCT J Clin Med, 2022 · PMID 35628874
  4. 4Effects of oral supplementation with plant superoxide dismutase extract on selected redox parameters and an inflammatory marker in a 2,000-m rowing-ergometer test.RCT Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2011 · PMID 21558574
  5. 5Effects of 6-Week Supplementation with GliSODin on Parameters of Muscle Damages, Metabolic, and Work Performance at International Level Rowers after Specific Maximal Effort.RCT Biology (Basel), 2022 · PMID 36290341
  6. 6Effect of an oral supplementation with a proprietary melon juice concentrate (Extramel) on stress and fatigue in healthy people: a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.RCT Nutr J, 2009 · PMID 19754931
  7. 7A Specific Melon Concentrate Exhibits Photoprotective Effects from Antioxidant Activity in Healthy Adults.RCT Nutrients, 2018 · PMID 29614719
  8. 8Therapeutic value of oral supplementation with melon superoxide dismutase and wheat gliadin combination.Review Nutrition, 2015 · PMID 25701330
  9. 9Celiac disease (MedlinePlus Genetics)Fact sheet National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus), 2019 · medlineplus.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

2 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
who should be careful, label guide, faqPubMed search for 2021–2026 human trials and meta-analyses found none new (only an animal study, PMID 34916376, not added). Added a celiac disease and wheat allergy caution sourced to MedlinePlus Genetics; stated that interaction data are limited; two new label-guide steps (SOD activity units, studied amounts); three new FAQs (gluten, interactions, pregnancy and breastfeeding). Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: the skin trial used an Extramel-type concentrate (SODB), not Extramel by name, and the celiac wording now follows MedlinePlus.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
allInitial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (full text only for the 2022 rowing dose and funding, the 2018 arm sizes and dose, and the 2022 allergy exclusion). Funding disclosed per study: Nutrition Act Co. (2022 locomotive trial), Seppic and Bionov (2009 Extramel), Bionov (2018 skin), Serbian ministry (2022 rowers); other abstracts name no funder (disclosed as not stated). Null shown: 2022 locomotive trial. Extramel rows are marked as not specific to this form. No melon SOD page exists on our approved safety sources, so safety rows use only NCCIH general supplement guidance; the wheat note cites the trial's exclusion criteria. Where to buy: Source Naturals SOD Power with GliSODin (label and price checked 2026-10-15).Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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