Our bodies naturally produce hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronate or hyaluronan. It is mainly found in your connective tissue. Responsible for hydration, repair and regeneration, the acid plays a major role in your health. The production of the acid diminishes with age. As this happens, you can start experiencing degeneration of your skin, eyes and joints.
Joint Health
Hyaluronic acid helps your joint health in a variety of ways. The acid coats each cartilage cell in your body. The acid helps lessen osteoarthritis symptoms. It can help keep your joints properly lubricated and resilient, according to the National Institutes of Health. This helps your joints have more mobility, viscosity and flexibility. The Physicians Desktop Reference recommends taking hyaluronic acid for your joint pain. Pharmaceutical companies manufacture a highly purified form of sodium hyaluronate into a prescription medicine for use in patients with osteoarthritis joint pain. Hyaluronate is also used in veterinary medicine to help treat carpal and joint dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis. Products containing hyaluronan have been approved for use in orthopedic surgeries.
Eye Health
Hyaluronic acid helps keep your eye tissues lubricated and operating properly, according to the National Institutes of Health. Using hyaluronic acid may help your night vision, decrease your dry eyes and improve your overall eye health.
Collagen Repair
Hyaluronic acid stimulates collagen repair, according to the National Institutes of Health. As you age, your body's ability to produce hyaluronic acid, a stimulator of collagen production, decreases. Collagen keeps your skin elastic and supple. Apply hyaluronic acid topically to help support your collagen synthesis. Since your body produces hyaluronic acid, it can be safely absorbed into your skin.
Anti-Wrinkle Agent
Hyaluronic acid is found in a vitamin A component known as retinol. Retinol, according to the Mayo Clinic, is one of the first antioxidant ingredients used in anti-aging creams. The antioxidant helps to neutralize unstable oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals break down your skin cells and cause wrinkles. Retinol helps diminish the appearance of your skin's aging by filling in moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. Retinol also keeps your skin hydrated, thereby diminishing development of wrinkles and fine lines. You can buy anti-aging skin care products that contain hyaluronic acid. More potent creams and gel formulations are available for dermatological use. The FDA has approved an injectable dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid.
Wound Healing
Hyaluronic acid also helps your overall skin appearance by playing a major role in wound healing, according to the National Institutes of Health. As part of the antioxidant vitamin C, the acid stimulates skin regeneration. Otherwise known as ascorbic acid, this nutrient is the major source of skin regeneration. The acid is essential for treating effects of tissue degeneration, imparting structural support and tissue hydration, according to the National Institutes of Health.
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