4 replies to this topic

[krud11]

Hyaluronic acid is a long, stringy, gel-like disaccharide (a type of sugar) composed of alternating molecules of Glucosamine and Glucuronic Acid and is responsible for the viscoelastic behaviour of Synovial Fluid ("joint oil") and the hydration and elastic strength of cartilage.

Hyaluronic acid has traditionally been derived from type II collagen sourced from Rooster comb. This type of hyaluronic acid has a very high molecular weight of up to six million Daltons (the unit of measurement for molecular weight).

This form of hyaluronic acid has been shown to be effective when injected but has too large a molecular weight to be effectively absorbed through the intestinal tract - if you are going to take something as an oral supplement it has to get from your intestines into the bloodstream and then into the cells of the joints where it is needed!

Edit: commercial link deleted.

Edited by niner, 10 March 2010 - 07:18 AM.

[wydell]

Certain things are suspected to promote hyaluronic acid - e.g., niacinamide, glucosamine. Though hyaluronidase inhibitors might be equally important or perhaps more important for increasing hyaluronic acid. Some substances that are reported as inhibitors:

wakame
echinacea
triphala
horse chestnut
butchers broom
curcumin
grape seed
gotu kola

White tea is a potent inhibitor of collagenase, perhaps it is also a hyaluronidase inhibitor

These items certainly have made a difference on the dry skin on my feet. Not sure if they have had any other effect.

Hyaluronic acid is a long, stringy, gel-like disaccharide (a type of sugar) composed of alternating molecules of Glucosamine and Glucuronic Acid and is responsible for the viscoelastic behaviour of Synovial Fluid ("joint oil") and the hydration and elastic strength of cartilage.

Hyaluronic acid has traditionally been derived from type II collagen sourced from Rooster comb. This type of hyaluronic acid has a very high molecular weight of up to six million Daltons (the unit of measurement for molecular weight).

This form of hyaluronic acid has been shown to be effective when injected but has too large a molecular weight to be effectively absorbed through the intestinal tract - if you are going to take something as an oral supplement it has to get from your intestines into the bloodstream and then into the cells of the joints where it is needed! [Commercial link deleted- mod]

Edited by niner, 10 March 2010 - 07:19 AM.

[aaCharley]

There are many, many reports of people using it for horses and it is widely available. they include it as a feed supplement. some of those people also report that they have used it themselves for joint pain. they report having success with it and it is taken orally. I don't know how it is processed in the body, but it must be able to pass something through the digestive system that provides the benefit to both the horses and people.

[aikikai]

Wouldn't supplementation of Glucosamine and Glucuronic Acid be sufficient for the body to produce hyaluronic acid?

[MoodyBlue]

Hyaluronic acid is a long, stringy, gel-like disaccharide (a type of sugar) composed of alternating molecules of Glucosamine and Glucuronic Acid and is responsible for the viscoelastic behaviour of Synovial Fluid ("joint oil") and the hydration and elastic strength of cartilage.

Hyaluronic acid has traditionally been derived from type II collagen sourced from Rooster comb. This type of hyaluronic acid has a very high molecular weight of up to six million Daltons (the unit of measurement for molecular weight).

This form of hyaluronic acid has been shown to be effective when injected but has too large a molecular weight to be effectively absorbed through the intestinal tract - if you are going to take something as an oral supplement it has to get from your intestines into the bloodstream and then into the cells of the joints where it is needed!

Edit: commercial link deleted.

When I first started using an oral Hyaluronic supplement some years ago it was touted as being absorbed in the digestion tract due to a reduced molecular weight molecule that was designed. Here's a brief explanation:

There is a paradox of sorts when dealing with injections versus oral supplements. Many people would much rather take an oral supplement than have an injection administered. However, the efficacy of injections has been proven to a greater extent than oral supplements.

Part of the reason hyaluronic acid is so effective is that it has a very large molecular weight, which reflects its ability to hold water, and thus its great moisturizing power. When HA is injected, the absorption of the heavy HA molecules is easily taken care of - which is not necessarily the case when oral HA supplements are taken.

Many scientists agree that the stomach has a hard time absorbing the heavy HA molecules. One source from the University of Connecticut Medical School explained, "Hyaluronic acid itself is not absorbed when taken orally and therefore its use at this point is limited to an injectable form."

Meanwhile, several commercial sites that boast chemically enhanced HA molecules for oral supplementation, which have a lower molecular weight, and thus will have an easier time being absorbed.

The paradox is that these oral supplements may be safer than injections, and the HA will have an easier time being absorbed - but - if you lose the molecular weight, you lose much of the efficacy so unique to HA. After reviewing the potential side effect of injections with a doctor, many people may come to the conclusion that injections offer the greatest potential solution.

I definitely noticed an improvement along with more youthful skin. So, even though oral H.A. supolements are not the real deal, they still have some efficacy.