What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic Acid (sodium hyaluronate, hyaluronan, HA) is a fluid that exists in every single living organism. It is "nature's moisturizer" in that it keeps the entire body moisturized. In humans, the greatest amounts of hyaluronic acid are found in the joint areas. It is responsible for lubricating the cartilage in the joint areas. The cartilage keeps the bones from rubbing together. With hyaluronic acid, our joints have the mobility to bend with ease. Hyaluronic acid also aids in lubrication of the eyes.
What is the History of Hyaluronic acid?
In 1934, Karl Meyer and his colleague John Palmer isolated a previously unknown chemical substance from the vitreous body of cows’ eyes. They found that the substance contained two sugar molecules, one of which was uronic acid. As a result, they proposed “for convenience, the name ‘hyaluronic acid’, from hyaloid (vitreous) + uronic acid.” At the time, they did not know that the substance which they had discovered would prove to be one of the most interesting and useful natural macromolecules.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) was first used commercially in 1942 when Endre Balazs applied for a patent to use it as a substitute for egg white in bakery products. He went on to become the leading expert on Hyaluronic Acid, and made the majority of discoveries concerning Hyaluronic Acid during the next 50 years.
Where is Hyaluronic Acid in the body?
The upper layers of skin are supported by two major columns made up of collagen and Elastin. These two substances make up connective tissue, and the spaces created are filled with a combination of Hyaluronic Acid, water, and protein complexes. This area is normally used for the transportation of essential nutrients from the bloodstream to the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid is found in great quantities in young skin and the synovial fluids of both humans and animals. Unfortunately pollutants and sunlight break down the Hyaluronic acid over time by creating oxy radicals. Studies say that by the age of 50 you will have approximately half the Hyaluronic Acid of childhood.
Hyaluronic acid in the body
Hyaluronic acid exists naturally in all living organisms and is a universal component of the spaces between the cells of body tissues (extracellular space). It is a polysaccharide that has an identical chemical structure whether it is found in simple bacteria or in human beings. HA can be found in many places in the human body, including:
- Skin - where it creates volume (without hyaluronic acid, the skin would appear dry, withered and wrinkled)
- The Vitreous Body - where it gives volume and shape to the eyes.
- Cartilage, Bone and Synovial Fluid - where it acts as a lubricant, shock absorber and filter, amongst other things.
- Blood Vessels
- The Umbilical Cord - where its function is to ensure that the contact between the mother and the fetus is never broken.
Information about Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid and skin
Hyaluronic acid plays a vital role in connective tissues such as the skin. The dermis of the skin comprises a network of collagen fibers within an interstitial substance composed largely of hyaluronic acid. The elastic properties of hyaluronic acid offer resistance to compression, so that the skin protects underlying structures against damage. At the same time, the non-Newtonian properties of hyaluronic acid allow the collagen fibers to move easily through the interstitial substance. This lubrication by hyaluronic acid allows the skin to accommodate the changes in shape and volume that occur when the underlying bones and joints move.
The hyaluronic acid gel in the skin also inhibits movement of foreign particles, such as bacteria. This makes an important contribution to the skin’s defensive function as a barrier to infection. The barrier also affects the free passage of other exogenous material, such as some drugs. This is the reason why some subcutaneous injections and drugs in creams or ointments include a small amount of the enzyme hyaluronidase. The enzyme degrades the hyaluronic acid gel around it, so that the drug is able to pass more freely through the tissues of the skin.
When we get older, the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin diminishes as the skin cells lose their ability to produce hyaluronic acid. In addition, the molecular weight of the HA is decreased with age, so that it does not hold water as well as before. This can be demonstrated by squeezing the skin between the fingers. In young people, the skin rapidly restores itself to its original volume. However, as we get older, the skin’s ability to restore itself is reduced.
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