**lung problems in newborns.
==Food sources==
* Melons, including honey dewhoneydew, casaba and [[cantaloupe]], contain the SOD enzyme. Wheat, corn and soy sprouts also have high concentrations of SOD. However, stomach acids and digestive enzymes easily destroy the SOD molecule, leaving effectively no SOD to enter the bloodstream. Fortunately in 1998, European scientists developed a bioavailable form of SOD, GliSODin, derived from melon and protected from digestion by wheat protein. Research on the GliSODin supplement shows it is absorbed into the bloodstream and significantly increases SOD levels.
* Both copper and zinc are necessary for one type of SOD enzyme (CuZnSOD) to function properly in the cell. Regardless of the presence of the SOD molecule, naturally or via GliSODin, if copper or zinc is deficient, then CuZnSOD activity decreases. Foods that are very good sources of both copper and zinc include calf’s liver, crimini mushrooms, spinach, chard, asparagus and sesame seeds.
* Found within the cell’s mitochondria, another SOD enzyme is manganese dependent (MnSOD). Regardless of SOD's presence, naturally or via GliSODin, a deficiency of the manganese cofactor results in diminished activity of MnSOD. Foods that are an excellent source of manganese include mustard greens, chard, spinach, romaine lettuce, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, oats, brown rice and green beans.