Is Hyaluronic Acid Naturally Produced By the Body?
What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a gooey, slippery substance (a polysaccharide molecule, to be exact) that the body produces naturally. Because it is found in varying concentrations throughout the entire body, hyaluronic acid is important for the health of the skin, joints, and eyes, as well as for bodily functions such as bone strength maintenance and wound healing. Unfortunately, as the body ages, the skin typically produces less hyaluronic acid, which may lead to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, dullness, and other issues with the skin’s texture and condition.
Natural Production of Hyaluronic Acid in the Body
The body naturally produces its own hyaluronic acid. Especially as they age and their bodies produce less of it, many people supplement with hyaluronic acid either topically or orally to compensate for this reduction in natural levels.
Where Is Hyaluronic Acid Most Concentrated?
Although it can be found throughout the body at various levels, hyaluronic acid is most concentrated in skin, eye, and joint fluids. In fact, nearly half of the hyaluronic acid in the entire body can be found in the skin. This powerfully hydrating substance provides cushioning and lubrication for these important and often delicate tissues:
Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes
The majority of skin cells produce hyaluronic acid as part of their normal function. This includes fibroblasts, which make up most of the skin’s extracellular matrix, and keratinocytes in the skin’s epidermis layer (outer layer), which are typically responsible for producing keratin and forming tight junctions on the skin’s surface as a semi-permeable layer. As previously mentioned, as we age, our skin and joints produce less hyaluronic acid. This can lead to wrinkles, dry skin, joint pain, and other conditions that we commonly associate with normal aging processes.
Hyaluronic Acid Benefits
Since hyaluronic acid is so important for so many bodily functions and maintenance processes, its benefits are numerous. Hyaluronic acid supplementation may help support the health and wellness of many bodily systems, including the skin, the joints, the eyes, the bones, and more.
Skin Health and Anti-Aging
Hyaluronic acid is an enormously vital component of skin health since it is thought to be able to retain as much as 1,000 times its weight in water. Taken as an oral supplement or in the form of a serum or moisturizer, the benefits of hyaluronic acid for skin can be significant. Because it is already found in the skin, hyaluronic acid may reduce the signs of aging by helping to create a plump, youthful look to the skin through hydration of wrinkles and fine lines.
One of the most important hyaluronic acid benefits for skin is its support of the skin’s collagen production. In doing so, it is thought to make the skin both firmer and more elastic while minimizing environmental damage to the skin by combating free radicals. Thanks to these hyaluronic acid skin benefits, consistent use of this substance orally or topically may help to give the skin a healthier and more youthful look.
Joint Health
As a natural component of synovial fluid, hyaluronic acid may relieve joint pain by promoting joint lubrication and reducing inflammation when taken as an oral supplement. Taking hyaluronic acid supplements on a regular basis may improve the health of connective tissue, help the joints to function better, and minimize joint pain and discomfort.
Eye Health
Having the correct fluid levels is essential for your eye’s ability to properly execute an entire range of functions: tear production, shock absorption, nutrient transport, and general protection of the fragile tissues of the eyes. A lack of fluid in the eyes may result in dryness, sensitivity, irritation, and even vision problems.
Because hyaluronic acid may help retain enormous amounts of moisture in even very small quantities, it is an essential part of maintaining the moisture and overall physical structure of the vitreous humor (the gelatinous tissue that fills the eyeball behind the lens of the eye). If the body’s own hyaluronic acid production is lacking, hyaluronic acid supplements or eye drops may help fill this gap. In addition, hyaluronic acid may even reduce oxidative stress to the cornea when it has been exposed to UV radiation.
Bone Strength Preservation
Hyaluronic acid is commonly needed to form the hyaline cartilage, which cushions the ends of long bones (e.g., the femur, or thigh bone) and is thought to support the bones of the nose, ears, and ribs. Relatedly, studies have also found that taking hyaluronic acid supplements may help to speed up the bones’ regeneration and repair processes.
Improved Wound Healing
Hyaluronic acid is typically necessary for the body to synthesize collagen and may help increase skin hydration, which means that it is thought to make the environment of the wound more appropriate for cell regeneration. This may help wounds heal more quickly and more effectively, with fewer complications, such as scarring.
Best Hyaluronic Acid Supplement
Those who are looking to add a hyaluronic acid supplement to their daily routine may be wondering which supplements are most effective.
Luckily, there’s one supplement on the market that checks all the right boxes for an oral hyaluronic acid supplement: Body Kitchen’s Youthful Beauty Advanced Powder, which contains a combination of hyaluronic acid and other anti-aging ingredients that may benefit skin, including resveratrol, collagen peptides, and antioxidants, all in the form of a convenient powder.
Body Kitchen’s Youthful Beauty Advanced Powder
Body Kitchen’s Youthful Beauty Advanced Powder incorporates a potent blend of anti-aging ingredients: hyaluronic acid, collagen, resveratrol, and antioxidants derived from black currant. In addition to the numerous benefits of hyaluronic acid for skin, as well as overall health, supplementing with collagen also has significant benefits.
Collagen may help to reduce signs of aging by amplifying the skin’s overall elasticity, and in the case of Body Kitchen’s collagen powder, there are roughly thirty times as many dipeptides (essential collagen peptides) as there are in similar products on the market. This may increase the absorption of collagen in the body for those taking this supplement, which may also maximize the overall benefits, when it comes to reducing signs of aging.
This supplement is also easy to incorporate into your routine, with a simple scoop mixed into one cup (eight fluid ounces) of your preferred beverage.
Similar to other Body Kitchen supplements, Youthful Beauty Advanced Powder uses only the highest quality ingredients that have been sourced responsibly. Many of these ingredients are derived from real, nutrient-dense food. These include collagen from grass-fed cows as well as the aforementioned collagen peptides, which are extracted from fish.
Adding this powder to one’s daily supplement regimen may lead to healthier hair, nails, bones, and joints, as well as more youthful and supple skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Speak with Your Doctor Before You Begin Supplementing with Hyaluronic Acid.
Since hyaluronic acid is naturally produced by the body on its own and it is an essential component of so many bodily tissues, allergic reactions to oral hyaluronic acid supplementation are rare. However, allergic reactions may be a possible side effect of these supplements, so it is always a good idea to consult a medical professional before beginning to take them. Every person’s medical situation is different, so only a qualified doctor can advise on whether hyaluronic acid supplements are a good fit for your needs.