What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the human body. It is a glycosaminoglycan and is present in connective tissues, skin, and joints.

How does it work?

Hyaluronic acid is used for medicinal purposes to treat joint pain and osteoarthritis. It helps to lubricate joints and reduce inflammation.

What are the active ingredients that are important for its medicinal properties?

Hyaluronic acid is the active ingredient.

What forms does it come in?

Hyaluronic acid comes in various forms, including oral supplements, injections, and topical creams.

What can happen if I have an imbalance or deficiency?

A lack of hyaluronic acid can cause joint pain and stiffness. If you have an imbalance or deficiency, you may experience joint pain and discomfort.

When was it first used for medicinal purposes?

Hyaluronic acid has been used for medicinal purposes since the 1980s.

What does Hyaluronic acid help with?

Hyaluronic acid, or HA, is a slippery substance your own body makes. It is well established that HA holds water in skin and cushions joints. You can take it as a pill, rub it on skin, or use it in eye drops or vaginal gels.

The human evidence here is stronger than for most supplements. HA eye drops for dry eyes rest on many clinical studies. Oral HA for joints and skin also has good trial support, but not every use on this page does.

• Dry, gritty, irritated eyes
  Strong evidence — multiple clinical studies of HA eye drops. HA eye drops are among the best-studied dry eye products. In many clinical studies, people using them reported less irritation, redness and discomfort. Those studies support HA acting as a moisture-binding lubricant on the eye surface.
  Evidence grade A · Traditional tier T0
• Joint pain and stiffness from osteoarthritis
  Strong evidence — several well-designed human trials of oral HA. It is well established that HA is a main part of joint fluid, and that levels drop a lot in arthritic joints. In several well-designed human trials, people taking HA by mouth had better knee pain scores and moved more easily. The gains showed up most in early to moderate osteoarthritis.
  Evidence grade A · Traditional tier T0
• Dry skin that has lost its plumpness
  Good evidence — human clinical trials of oral HA. It is well established that HA holds much of the water in skin, and that levels fall as you age. In human clinical trials, people taking oral HA had better skin moisture and more stretch in the skin. Fine lines looked less obvious too.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T0
• Wrinkles and sagging, less springy skin
  Good evidence — controlled human trials over 4 to 12 weeks. In controlled human trials, oral HA lowered wrinkle depth and raised skin elasticity. The changes showed up after 4 to 12 weeks of daily use. Topical HA was studied for surface moisture, and oral HA for deeper support.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T0
• Vaginal dryness and pain during sex
  Good evidence — well-studied vaginal HA gels and suppositories. Vaginal HA gels and suppositories have been well studied, mostly in women past menopause. In that research, women reported more moisture and less discomfort during sex. They were looked at as an option next to hormone creams, without the risks tied to estrogen.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T0
• Cuts, grazes and surgical wounds that heal slowly
  Good evidence — clinical research on topical HA. It is well established that HA takes part in the body's own repair of wounds. It helps hold water at the wound site and guides tissue rebuilding. In clinical research, HA put on the skin sped healing of skin wounds and surgical sites, with less scarring.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T0
• Everyday knee aches, with no diagnosis
  Early evidence — human trials in people without a diagnosed joint condition. Some human trials looked at knee discomfort from activity or age alone. People taking oral HA each day reported less knee pain during normal tasks and exercise. The benefit built up over 4 to 8 weeks of steady use.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T0
• Sore joints after hard exercise
  Early evidence — limited clinical data in athletes and active adults. Athletes and active adults taking oral HA have reported less joint soreness and quicker recovery. Clinical data suggest daily HA may help keep joints better cushioned under the stress of exercise. The human data here are limited, so treat this as early work.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T0
• Heartburn and acid reflux
  Early evidence — one human clinical study of a combination formula. One human clinical study used a combined formula with HA and chondroitin sulfate. People taking it had a meaningful drop in reflux symptoms. Early research suggests HA may coat and shield the lining of the food pipe.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T0

What Hyaluronic acid has not been shown to do

• HA on its own has not been shown to ease reflux, because the one human study used it mixed with chondroitin sulfate.
• Oral HA has not been shown to rebuild worn cartilage, since the joint trials measured pain and movement, not joint repair.
• The joint trials centred on early to moderate osteoarthritis, so they say little about severe, late-stage joint damage.
• Oral HA has not been shown to speed wound healing, because that research used HA applied to the skin.
• HA applied to the skin has not been shown to ease joint pain, because the joint trials used oral HA.
• HA eye drops were studied for comfort and surface moisture, not as a cure for the cause of dry eye.
• The vaginal HA research looked at dryness and comfort only, not other menopause symptoms such as hot flushes.

How to read this:

Each use gets its own grade, because the studies behind them differ. A means human randomised trials agree. B means at least one good human trial. C means small, mixed or early human studies. D means the human evidence is weak or clashes. Insufficient means no human study is on file. This page reports what studies found, in the past tense. It lists options, not advice, and it is not a promise of results. Talk with your own clinician before you start anything new.

What can Hyaluronic acid help prevent?

• Progression of early-stage osteoarthritis (by maintaining joint fluid quality and cushioning)
• Skin dehydration-related aging (by sustaining baseline skin moisture levels)
• Dry eye complications (by maintaining corneal surface integrity with regular eye drop use)

Which foods are rich in it?

Hyaluronic acid is found in high amounts in animal products such as:

• chicken
• beef
• fish

What are possible side effects?

Possible side effects of hyaluronic acid include:

1. Pain at injection site
2. Swelling
3. Itching
4. Redness

What's the recommended daily dose?

The recommended daily dose for oral hyaluronic acid supplements is 120-240 mg.

How many days does it take to work?

The effects of hyaluronic acid can vary depending on the individual and the condition being treated. It may take several weeks to notice the benefits.

What time of day is best to take it?

There is no specific time of day that is best to take hyaluronic acid.

Is it best to take it with or without food?

Hyaluronic acid can be taken with or without food.