A commercial form of hyaluronic acid is hyaluronic acid sodium salt, a sodium salt of hyaluronic acid. Human tissues and organs contain the substance naturally, including the dermal layer of the skin and the articular cartilage. It provides hydration, moisture, antioxidants, and nourishment to the body's tissues and organs.

Effects of hydration:

Water can be bound to a large amount of hyaluronic acid molecules by hydrogen bonds formed between the carboxyl and other polar groups. It is one of the most important physiological functions of skin tissue to retain water, with a theoretical water retention value of over 500 mL/g and an actual water retention value of 80 mL/g in connective tissue. By combining with water via hydrogen bonds, hyaluronic acid molecules assemble into a network, exerting a strong water-retaining effect. Hyaluronic acid is primarily responsible for maintaining water levels in the intercellular matrix. With sulfated mucopolysaccharides, collagen, elastin, and other fibrous proteins, hyaluronic acid forms an extracellular colloidal matrix containing a large amount of water, which facilitates material exchange and cell metabolism. As people age, their skin's hyaluronic acid content decreases, which results in a reduction in water content in cells and intercellular spaces. This enables the skin to be flexible, elastic, and smooth. Water is crucial for the health of the skin since the space filled by the hyaluronic acid-based colloidal matrix decreases, resulting in tight cells and collagen dehydration, leading to rough and inelastic skin.

Effects of antioxidants:

During the epidermis of the skin, hyaluronic acid can scavenge free radicals caused by ultraviolet radiation, protecting the epidermis from damage. The antioxidant is considered an efficient free radical scavenger, preventing lipid peroxidation, destroying cell membranes, killing cells, and causing skin pigmentation. By reacting with oxygen free radicals, hyaluronic acid eliminates them while being degraded itself in the process. Hydroxyl groups in hyaluronic acid bind to reactive oxygen free radicals inside and on the surface of the body, exerting antioxidant properties.

Healing and repair:

The biological activity of hyaluronic acid is excellent, promoting epidermal cell proliferation, differentiation, and renewal. In addition to eliminating oxygen free radicals from the body, it promotes cell regeneration, renewal, and repair in damaged skin areas, reducing their damage. A certain sunscreen effect can also be achieved with hyaluronic acid, because it blocks UV rays from penetrating the skin and protects it from damage. Aside from treating UV-induced skin damage, it can also facilitate the healing of minor burns or injuries, such as sunburn.

Nutritional support:

Human skin aging is closely linked to the hyaluronic acid content in the body, which provides nutrition to human cells. Both synthesis and decomposition processes maintain a dynamic balance in hyaluronic acid levels in the human body. The dynamic balance, however, can be disrupted as people age or suffer other injuries, resulting in a decrease in hyaluronic acid levels. Taking hyaluronic acid supplements can increase its levels in the body, slowing down the aging process and enhancing beauty.

Medical and cosmetic companies have widely used HA, and with further research, its use in food is becoming increasingly widespread. A number of countries and regions, including Japan, the United States, and the European Union, allow HA to be added to regular foods, while South Korea allows it to be added to health foods. HA (in the form of SH) was approved in China as a health food ingredient in 2008, and it was expanded into regular foods in December 2020.

HA in food has the following benefits:

HA is widely used in cosmetics and medical beauty due to its strong water-retaining properties. A growing number of clinical trials are investigating how oral HA affects skin health. The results show that oral HA can improve skin dryness and reduce wrinkles. It is possible that exogenous HA enters the free HA pool of the skin after oral administration as a reserve. Furthermore, ingested HA may increase the production of endogenous HA and promote fibroblast proliferation in the skin.

Researchers have found that HA binds to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the intestine, inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory factors and therefore alleviating joint pain. HA may also participate in immune regulation, thereby improving joint pain. Get more info about Cosmetic Raw Materials.

It is crucial that intestinal flora and intestinal function are regulated in order to maintain intestinal homeostasis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), often accompanied by an imbalance in intestinal flora, can be caused by an imbalance in the intestinal mucosal immune system. In addition to its role as a prebiotic, HA also promotes intestinal flora symbiosis and intestinal homeostasis as polysaccharides. A biofilm formed by HA can resist further stimulation by pathogenic microorganisms by adsorbing onto the mucosal surface and enhancing the intestinal barrier. As an important component of the gastrointestinal wall mucosa, epithelium, and extracellular matrix, oral HA may also improve intestinal barrier function by healing the mucosa. By virtue of its inherent immune-regulating properties, HA can also exert an anti-inflammatory effect, thus repairing the intestinal barrier.

Various types and formulations of foods containing hyaluronic acid sodium salt, including mineral water, gummies, yogurt, etc., have emerged in recent years as a result of advancing research. Foods and snacks have begun to incorporate hyaluronic acid sodium salt, expanding its range of applications.