Let's find out what hyaluronic acid is and what its beneficial properties are for our body and we answer the question: is high molecular weight hyaluronic acid absorbed after oral intake?
Hyaluronic acid: what it is and what are its beneficial properties
Hyaluronic acid is an extremely large natural polymer, synthesized by the proteins present in the cell membrane. It is classified as a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and is found in numerous organic districts: in the joints, in the synovial fluid, in the articular cartilage and the connective tissues, in the skin and the vitreous body. Significant amounts of HA are also found in the lungs, kidneys, brain and muscle tissues.
The biological functions of hyaluronic acid include maintaining the elasticity of connective tissues and controlling hydration and water transport. It is an important component of the synovial fluid that contributes to the lubrication of the joints and cushions mechanical stress. Each joint is covered by a very thin membrane that produces a liquid called synovial fluid which has the purpose of promoting the sliding of the joint surfaces on the cartilage, minimising friction.
Hyaluronic acid has an important ability to bind and retain water, acting on the skin as a direct moisturizing substance, giving water to the horny layer of the skin and forming a sort of "film" capable of preventing excessive evaporation. It is a real support molecule of the dermis, capable of giving the skin elasticity and softness.
High molecular weight hyaluronic acid: is absorbed after oral intake?
An American Scientific Study (Balogh 2008), developed with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, definitively and unequivocally demonstrates that high molecular weight hyaluronic acid is absorbed after oral intake and is functional and beneficial to the body because it spreads in the joints, including the spine, in the skin tissue and the vitreous body of the eyes.
The absorption of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid was determined as follows:
- After only 15 minutes, significant concentrations of hyaluronic acid are found in the blood, muscles, tissues in general and in particular in connective tissue.
- After 4 hours, significant concentrations of hyaluronic acid are detectable in the shoulder joints and vertebrae.
- After 24 hours it is still present in the skin, bones and joint tissues which show significant incorporation of hyaluronic acid, which remains even 48 hours after intake.
High molecular weight and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid: what are the differences?
Hyaluronic acids are not all equivalent and large differences in the biological activities and functionalities of hyaluronic acids are attributable to the size of the molecular weight.
Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that can be distinguished by its specific molecular weight, which is nothing more than the index of the size of the molecule. The molecular weight and size of the hyaluronic acid molecule are linked by a directly proportional relationship: the larger the molecule, the greater its molecular weight, and vice versa the smaller it is, the lower its molecular weight will be.
Native hyaluronic acid has a medium-high molecular weight, functional for health.Hyaluronic acid can be obtained by fermentation, generally with high molecular weight, or from animal origin, with low or very low molecular weight and with very different properties compared to hyaluronic acid with high molecular weigh.
In the joints, only the high molecular weight hyaluronic acid has a "buffer" effect because it restores the viscoelastic characteristics of the joint tissue, improving mobility and reducing pain.
Conclusions
The main differences in the biological activities of hyaluronic acid are attributable to its molecular weight: in essence, high molecular weight hyaluronic acid is functional and beneficial for health, while fragments of hyaluronic acid have very different or opposite properties, as is clear from the growing literature on the biological effects of hyaluronic acid.
