Hyaluronic Acid - 7 Proven Longevity Benefits

The scientifically backed longevity benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid - 7 Proven Longevity Benefits

The scientifically backed longevity benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Gentlemen, it’s unlikely you will have heard of this supplement, although the ladies in your life most probably will have and are probably using it too. In the beauty industry Hyaluronic Acid or (HA/HLA) is used in a bid to maintain moisture levels in the skin, which in turn leads to smooth, flawless, hydrated and younger looking skin, well that’s the claim.

I won’t get into the hugely inflated cost of HA products and the minuscule amount of HA that each product contains and that it doesn’t stay on your skin long enough to make a difference, maybe I’ll leave that for a future video?

Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is a clear, gooey substance that is naturally produced by your body. The largest amounts of it can be found in your skin, connective tissue (such as bone, cartilage, fat etc.) and in your eyes. To keep the molecules in your skin, connective tissue and eyes well lubricated and moist its main function is to retain water. In fact, 1 gram of hyaluronic acid can retain up to 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water, so it is a very powerful humectant.

Hyaluronic acid or HA has a variety of uses, all of which we will cover shortly, and it can be administered in a number of ways:

  • As a topical serum and in eye drops

  • As an injection, and

  • As a supplement

Firstly, I want to talk quickly about Dr. Vera Gorbunova and her work in the antiaging field. She is a Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester; she is also the co-director of the Rochester Aging Research Center, and she also sits on the DoNotAge.org advisory board. Her research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of longevity and genome stability, and on the studies of exceptionally long-lived mammals. She has spoken at TEDx in Cannes and at the Undoing Aging conference in Berlin.

The naked mole rat lives on average for 30 years; the longest-lived rodent by far. The average mouse lives for only 4 years. Dr. Vera Gorbunova concludes that this may be because of their abundance of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid or HMW-HA.

Naked mole rats very rarely get cancer and Dr. Vera and her team found that removing the HMW-HA from her naked mole rats makes them more prone to cancer. So, it appears that the more HMW-HA, the less likely the cancer risk. Please note this study was done in rodents and that human trials are not yet concluded.

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. However, the natural aging process and exposure to things such as ultraviolet radiation from the sun, tobacco smoke and pollution can decrease the amount in your skin. Taking hyaluronic acid supplements may prevent this decline by raising the depleted levels.

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. Hydrated skin also reduces the appearance of wrinkles, which may explain why several studies show that supplementing with it can make skin appear smoother.

Sixty Japanese male and female subjects aged between 22-59, who presented with crow's feet, were randomly assigned 120 mg/day of hyaluronic acid or a placebo for 12 weeks. The skin wrinkles were evaluated by image analysis of skin wrinkle replicas, and their skin condition was evaluated using a questionnaire.

During the study period, the HA groups showed better levels of the whole sulcus volume ratio, wrinkle area ratio, and wrinkle volume ratio than the placebo group. After 8 weeks of ingestion, the HA group showed significantly diminished wrinkles compared with the placebo group. After 12 weeks skin luster and suppleness had significantly improved when compared with their baseline.

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. 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.

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Hyaluronic acid also has antibacterial properties, so it can help reduce the risk of infection when applied directly to open wounds. It’s also effective at combating gum disease, speeding up healing after tooth surgery and eliminating ulcers when used topically in the mouth.

Hyaluronic acid is also found in our joints; here it keeps the space between your bones well lubricated, when the joints are lubricated the bones are less likely to grind against each other and cause discomfort and 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.

New research shows hyaluronic acid supplements may help reduce the 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 human study found that taking a hyaluronic acid and a sulfate supplement along with an acid-reducing medication decreased reflux symptoms 60% more than taking an acid-reducing medication alone.

A second study showed that the same type of supplement was five times more effective at reducing acid reflux symptoms than a placebo. Research in this area is still relatively new, and more studies are needed to replicate these results. Nevertheless, these outcomes are certainly promising.

Approximately 1 out of 7 older adults suffer from the symptoms of dry eye because of reduced tear production or tears evaporating too quickly; hyaluronic acid is excellent at retaining moisture and is often used to treat dry eye. Eye drops containing 0.2 to 0.4% hyaluronic acid have been shown to reduce dry eye symptoms and improve overall eye health.

Contact lenses that contain slow-release hyaluronic acid are also being developed as a possible treatment for dry eye. In addition, hyaluronic acid eye drops are frequently used during eye surgery to reduce inflammation and speed wound healing. To date, no studies have examined the effects of hyaluronic acid supplements on dry eye, but it may be a future area of research.

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 initial stage of bone loss that precedes osteoporosis.

Test-tube studies have also shown that high doses of hyaluronic acid can increase the activity of osteoblasts, the cells that are responsible for building new bone tissue. While its effects on human bone health have not yet been studied, early animal and test-tube studies are extremely promising.

Approximately 3 to 6% of women suffer from a condition called interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome, this disorder causes abdominal pain and tenderness, along with a strong and frequent urge to urinate. While the causes of this condition 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.

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. Studies have not yet determined whether oral hyaluronic acid supplements can increase amounts of it in the bladder enough to have the same effects.

Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe to use, with very 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. 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, for this reason, it is generally advised that people with cancer or who have a family a history of cancer avoid supplementing with it.

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.

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