Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is a clear, gooey substance that is naturally produced by your body.
The largest amounts of it are found in your skin, connective tissue and eyes.
Its main function is to retain water to keep your tissues well lubricated and moist.
Hyaluronic acid has a variety of uses. Many people take it as a supplement, but it’s also used in topical serums, eye drops and injections.
Here are 7 scientifically backed benefits of taking hyaluronic acid.
1. Promotes Healthier, More Supple Skin
Hyaluronic acid supplements can help your skin look and feel more supple.
Roughly half of the hyaluronic acid in your body is present in your skin, where it binds to water to help retain moisture (1Trusted Source).
However, the natural aging process and exposure to things like ultraviolet radiation from the sun, tobacco smoke and pollution can decrease its amounts in the skin (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
Taking hyaluronic acid supplements may prevent this decline by giving your body extra amounts to incorporate into the skin (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
Doses of 120–240 mg per day for at least one month have been shown to significantly increase skin moisture and reduce dry skin in adults (3Trusted Source).
Hydrated skin also reduces the appearance of wrinkles, which may explain why several studies show that supplementing with it can make skin appear smoother (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
When applied to the surface of the skin, hyaluronic acid serums can reduce wrinkles, redness and dermatitis (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Some dermatologists even inject hyaluronic acid fillers to keep skin looking firm and youthful (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid supplements can help increase skin moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Topical treatments can soothe redness and dermatitis, while injections can make skin appear firmer.
2. Can Speed Wound Healing
Hyaluronic acid also plays a key role in wound healing.
It’s naturally present in the skin, but its concentrations increase when there is damage in need of repair.
Hyaluronic acid helps wounds heal faster by regulating inflammation levels and signaling the body to build more blood vessels in the damaged area (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
Applying it to skin wounds has been shown to reduce the size of wounds and decrease pain faster than a placebo or no treatment at all (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
Hyaluronic acid also has antibacterial properties, so it can help reduce the risk of infection when applied directly to open wounds (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
What’s more, it’s effective at combating gum disease, speeding up healing after tooth surgery and eliminating ulcers when used topically in the mouth (21Trusted Source).
While the research on hyaluronic acid serums and gels is promising, there has been no research to determine whether hyaluronic acid supplements can provide the same benefits.
However, since oral supplements boost the levels of hyaluronic acid found in the skin, it’s reasonable to suspect they may provide some benefit.
SUMMARY
Applying hyaluronic acid directly to an open wound can help speed up the recovery process. It’s unknown whether supplementing with it would have the same effect.
3. Relieve Joint Pain by Keeping Bones Well Lubricated
Hyaluronic acid is also found in the joints, where it keeps the space between your bones well lubricated (22Trusted Source).
When the joints are lubricated, the bones are less likely to grind against each other and cause uncomfortable pain.
Hyaluronic acid supplements are very helpful for people suffering from osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative joint disease caused by wear and tear on the joints over time.
Taking 80–200 mg daily for at least two months has been shown to significantly reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis, especially those between the ages of 40 and 70 years old (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
Hyaluronic acid can also be injected directly into the joints for pain relief. However, an analysis of over 12,000 adults found only a modest reduction in pain and a greater risk of adverse effects (27Trusted Source).
Some research shows that pairing oral hyaluronic acid supplements with injections can help extend pain-relieving benefits and increase the amount of time between shots (28Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid supplements are effective at reducing joint pain in people with osteoarthritis. Injections can also be used but may come with risks.
4. Soothe Acid Reflux Symptoms
New research shows hyaluronic acid supplements may help reduce symptoms of acid reflux.
When acid reflux occurs, the contents of the stomach are regurgitated up into the throat, causing pain and damage to the lining of the esophagus.
Hyaluronic acid may help soothe the damaged lining of the esophagus and speed up the recovery process.
One test-tube study found that applying a mixture of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate to acid-damaged throat tissue helped it heal much faster than when no treatment was used (29Trusted Source).
Human studies have also shown benefits.
One study found that taking a hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate supplement along with an acid-reducing medication decreased reflux symptoms 60% more than taking acid-reducing medication alone (30Trusted Source).
A second study showed that the same type of supplement was five times more effective at reducing acid reflux symptoms than a placebo (31Trusted Source).
Research in this area is still relatively new, and more studies are needed to replicate these results. Nevertheless, these outcomes are promising.
SUMMARY
A combination supplement containing hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate may help reduce the symptoms of acid reflux in some people.
5. Relieve Dry Eye and Discomfort
Approximately 1 out of 7 older adults suffer from symptoms of dry eye due to reduced tear production or tears evaporating too quickly (32Trusted Source).
Since hyaluronic acid is excellent at retaining moisture, it’s often used to treat dry eye.
Eye drops containing 0.2–0.4% hyaluronic acid have been shown to reduce dry eye symptoms and improve eye health (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source).
Contact lenses that contain slow-release hyaluronic acid are also being developed as a possible treatment for dry eye (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
In addition, hyaluronic acid eye drops are frequently used during eye surgery to reduce inflammation and speed wound healing (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source).
While applying them directly to the eyes has been shown to reduce dry eye symptoms and improve overall eye health, it is unclear whether oral supplements have the same effects.
To date, no studies have examined the effects of hyaluronic acid supplements on dry eye, but it may be a future area of research.
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the eyes and often an ingredient in eye drops to relieve dry eye symptoms. It’s unknown whether supplementing with it would have the same effects.
6. Preserve Bone Strength
New animal research has begun to investigate the effects of hyaluronic acid supplements on bone health.
Two studies have found that hyaluronic acid supplements can help slow the rate of bone loss in rats with osteopenia, the beginning stage of bone loss that precedes osteoporosis (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source).
Test-tube studies have also shown that high doses of hyaluronic acid can increase the activity of osteoblasts, the cells responsible for building new bone tissue (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).
While its effects on human bone health have not yet been studied, early animal and test-tube studies are promising.
SUMMARY
Animal and test-tube research suggests that high doses of hyaluronic acid may help prevent bone loss, but no research has been conducted in humans.
7. Could Prevent Bladder Pain
Approximately 3–6% of women suffer from a condition called interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome (44Trusted Source).
This disorder causes abdominal pain and tenderness, along with a strong and frequent urge to urinate (45Trusted Source).
While the causes of interstitial cystitis are unknown, hyaluronic acid has been found to help relieve the pain and urinary frequency associated with this condition when inserted directly into the bladder through a catheter (46Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source, 48Trusted Source).
It’s unclear why hyaluronic acid helps relieve these symptoms, but researchers hypothesize that it helps repair damage to bladder tissue, making it less sensitive to pain (49Trusted Source, 50Trusted Source).
Studies have not yet determined whether oral hyaluronic acid supplements can increase amounts of it in the bladder enough to have the same effects.
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid can relieve bladder pain when inserted directly into the bladder through a catheter, but taking supplements by mouth may not have the same effects.
Possible Side Effects and Precautions
Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe to use, with few reported side effects.
Since the body naturally produces it, allergic reactions are very rare.
One study in 60 people with osteoarthritis who took 200 mg daily for one year reported no negative side effects (23Trusted Source).
However, its effects during pregnancy or breastfeeding have not been thoroughly studied, so these groups should be cautious and avoid supplementing with it.
There is also some evidence that cancer cells are sensitive to hyaluronic acid and taking supplements could make them grow faster (51Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source).
For this reason, it is generally advised that people with cancer or a history of cancer avoid supplementing with it (53Trusted Source).
Hyaluronic acid injections into the skin or joints have a higher risk of side effects. However, negative reactions are mostly associated with the injection procedure, rather than hyaluronic acid itself (54Trusted Source, 55Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe when used as a supplement, but people who are pregnant or have cancer or a history of cancer may want to avoid taking it.
The Bottom Line
Hyaluronic acid supplements can be safely taken by most people and provide many health benefits.
Hyaluronic acid is well known for its skin benefits, especially alleviating dry skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and speeding up wound healing.
It can also help relieve joint pain in people with osteoarthritis.
Other notable applications include hyaluronic acid eye drops to relieve dry eye and inserting hyaluronic acid directly into the bladder via catheter to reduce pain.
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