Hyaluronic Acid

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Plant based hyaluronic acid in skin care is produced from the fermentation of a bacterium found in soil and roots, supporting the hydration of the skin and locking in moisture to hydrate and replenish skin.

What are the benefits of Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid has a variety of uses. Many people take it as a supplement, but it’s also used in skin serums and eye drops.

The majority of Hyaluronic acid is found in your skin, where it binds to water to help retain moisture[i]. The natural ageing process and exposure to UV radiation from the sun, tobacco smoke and pollution can decrease Hyaluronic Acid amounts in the skin[ii].

Skin health

Taking hyaluronic acid supplementally may prevent decline by providing your body with extra amounts to incorporate into the skin[iii].

When applied to the surface of the skin, hyaluronic acid serums can reduce wrinkles, redness and dermatitis[iv] [v] [vi].

Hyaluronic acid also plays a key role in wound healing. Concentrations increase when there is damage to the skin barrier in need of repair[vii] [viii].

It also has antibacterial properties, helping to reduce the risk of infection when applied directly to skin[ix].

That said, while the research on hyaluronic acid serums and gels is promising, there has been little research to determine whether hyaluronic acid supplements can provide the same benefits regarding wound healing.

Joint pain

Hyaluronic acid is said to be helpful for joint pain by maintaining lubrication of the joints and bone. In this way, it is recommended for people suffering from osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative joint disease caused by wear and tear on the joints over time. Studies show that taking 80–200 mg daily for at least two months significantly reduced knee pain in people with osteoarthritis [x].

Acid reflux

When acid reflux occurs, acid comes up the oesophagus into the throat, causing pain and damage to the lining of the oesophagus. Hyaluronic acid may help soothe the damaged lining of the oesophagus and speed up healing [xi]. One study shows a hyaluronic acid supplement was five times more effective at reducing acid reflux symptoms than placebo [xii].

Dry eyes

As hyaluronic acid is excellent at retaining moisture, it’s often used for dry eyes [xiii]. Hyaluronic acid eye drops are frequently used for this reason, however, it is unclear whether oral supplements have the same effects.

Safety

Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe to use, with few reported side effects.

Since the body naturally produces it, allergic reactions are very rare [xiv]

However, its effects during pregnancy or breastfeeding have not been thoroughly studied, so caution should be taken and higher doses avoided.

[i] Papakonstantinou, E. Roth, M. & Karakiulakis, G. (2012). ‘Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging’. Dermato-endocrinology, 4(3), 253–258.

[ii] Simpson, R.M. Meran, S. Thomas, D. et al. (2009) ‘Age-related changes in pericellular hyaluronan organization leads to impaired dermal fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation’. Am J Pathol. 175(5):1915-28.

[iii] Balogh, L. Polyak, A. Mathe, D. et al. (2008) ‘Absorption, uptake and tissue affinity of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan after oral administration in rats and dogs’. J Agric Food Chem. 56(22):10582-93.

[iv] Jegasothy, S. M. Zabolotniaia, V. & Bielfeldt, S. (2014). ‘Efficacy of a New Topical Nano-hyaluronic Acid in Humans’. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 7(3), 27–29.

[v] Pavicic, T. Gauglitz, G.G. Lersch, P. et al. (2011) ‘ Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment.’ J Drugs Dermatol. 10(9):990-1000.

[vi] Draelos, Z.D. (2011) ‘A clinical evaluation of the comparable efficacy of hyaluronic acid-based foam and ceramide-containing emulsion cream in the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis’. J Cosmet Dermatol. 10(3):185-8.

[vii] Aya, K.L. & Stern, R. (2014) ‘Hyaluronan in wound healing: rediscovering a major player. Wound Repair Regen’. 22(5):579-93.

[viii] Sabadotto, M. Theunis, J. Black, D. et al. (2014) ‘ In vivo assessment of the effect of a cream containing Avena Rhealba(®) extract and hyaluronic acid on the restoration of the skin barrier in de-epidermised skin produced with an erbium-YAG laser’. Eur J Dermatol. 24(5):583-8.

[ix] Romanò, C. L. De Vecchi, E. Bortolin, M. et al. (2017). ‘Hyaluronic Acid and Its Composites as a Local Antimicrobial/Antiadhesive Barrier’. Journal of bone and joint infection, 2(1), 63–72.

[x] Oe, M. Tashiro, T. Yoshida, H. et al. (2016). Oral hyaluronan relieves knee pain: a review. Nutrition journal, 15, 11.

[xi] Savarino, V. Pace, F. Scarpignato, C. et al. (2017). ‘Randomised clinical trial: mucosal protection combined with acid suppression in the treatment of non-erosive reflux disease - efficacy of Esoxx, a hyaluronic acid-chondroitin sulphate based bioadhesive formulation’. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 45(5), 631–642.

[xii] Palmieri, B. Merighi, A. Corbascio, D. et al. (2013) ‘Fixed combination of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin-sulphate oral formulation in a randomized double blind, placebo controlled study for the treatment of symptoms in patients with non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux’. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 17(24):3272-8.

[xiii] Iester, M. Orsoni, G.J. Gamba, G. et al. (2000) ‘Improvement of the ocular surface using hypotonic 0.4% hyaluronic acid drops in keratoconjunctivitis sicca’. Eye (Lond). 14(Pt 6):892-8.

[xiv] Tashiro, T. Seino, S. Sato, T. et al. (2012) ‘Oral administration of polymer hyaluronic acid alleviates symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study over a 12-month period’. ScientificWorldJournal.;2012:167928.