Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan) is a long sugar chain that holds water in skin, joint fluid and the eye. The body makes all it needs, food supplies little, and capsules, creams and joint injections each work in a different way.
15 gin the body of a 70 kg adult
~5 g broken down and remade every day
Daily reference · none: the body makes its own
- In the body About half is in the skin
- In food Little animal skin, cartilage and broth
- Supplements made by Fermentation or from rooster combs
- Evidence for pills Limited few short trials
Body figures from published physiology reviews of hyaluronan. No food figures: the food library does not measure hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic Acid in Food
Diet supplies little hyaluronic acid, and nobody has measured it well in ordinary meals. It sits in the same tissues as collagen.
- Skin, cartilage and joints of meat and poultrythe tissues where animals keep it, such as chicken skin and feet
- Bone and joint brothssome passes into the liquid during long cooking; the amount is not known
- Plant foodsnone; plants do not make hyaluronic acid
- Supplementscapsules and drinks of sodium hyaluronate, usually made by bacterial fermentation, sometimes from rooster combs
What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan: two simple sugars, glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine, joined in a chain that can run to thousands of pairs. The chain carries a negative charge along its length and pulls water in around itself, which turns it into a gel.
What Hyaluronic Acid Does in the Body
In skin it fills the space between cells and fibers, keeping the deeper layers plump and moist. In joints it makes the fluid thick, so cartilage surfaces glide and shocks are absorbed. In the eye it helps form the clear gel that keeps the eyeball's shape.
It is also one of the fastest-renewed materials in the body. An adult of 70 kg has about 15 g, and roughly 5 g of it is broken down and replaced each day. That fast turnover is one reason the amount you eat or swallow is small next to what the body handles on its own. In joints it works alongside glucosamine, one of its two building blocks, and collagen.
Why Hyaluronic Acid Levels Fall With Age
Studies of aging skin find less hyaluronic acid in its outer layer and more of it tightly bound deeper down. This is the reasoning behind supplements and creams, but a lower level in skin does not mean the body lacks the raw material to make it.
Hyaluronic Acid Pills, Creams, and Injections
Supplements are the main way people take in hyaluronic acid on purpose. The same molecule acts very differently depending on where it goes.
| Route | Where it goes | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| Capsule or drink | Gut, where bacteria break most of it into smaller pieces | A few small, short trials, many funded by manufacturers, found modest gains in skin moisture or knee comfort |
| Skin cream or serum | Mostly stays on the surface of the skin | Holds water on the skin like other moisturizers; large molecules do not reach the deeper layers |
| Injection into the knee | Straight into the joint fluid | A medical treatment given by a doctor; trials and guidelines disagree on how much it helps |
Reading a Hyaluronic Acid Label
Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form and acts as hyaluronic acid in the body. Labels sometimes give a molecular weight, low or high; studies have used different sizes, and none has been shown to be the better choice.
Hyaluronic Acid Safety
Short trials of capsules report few side effects. Effects over years, in pregnancy and with medicines are not known. Products from rooster combs are not suitable for people who avoid animal foods.
Sources: physiology reviews of hyaluronan, published reviews of oral trials. Not medical advice.
Tracking Hyaluronic Acid in Caltide
- Not totaled yetCaltide does not add up hyaluronic acid yet. The broths, meat and poultry you log still count toward calories and protein, with each food's breakdown in the food library.
Related Nutrients
Hyaluronic Acid Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources.
Questions About Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan) is a long chain of two sugars repeated thousands of times. It fills the space between cells in skin, makes joint fluid thick and slippery, and is a key part of the gel inside the eye.
Only animal tissues rich in connective tissue, such as skin, cartilage, joints and the broths made from them. No food figures are reliable, and plant foods contain none.
It is not clear. Gut bacteria break most of it into smaller pieces, and animal studies suggest some of those pieces are absorbed. Whether they reach skin or joints in useful amounts in people has not been shown.
The evidence is limited. A small number of short trials, many paid for by manufacturers, reported modest gains in skin moisture or knee comfort. Larger independent trials are lacking.
Yes, in practice. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form used in most supplements, creams and injections. In the body it behaves as hyaluronic acid.
No. The body makes its own, about 15 g in a 70 kg adult, and breaks down and remakes roughly a third of it every day. There is no daily requirement.
Most are made by bacterial fermentation. Some come from rooster combs, which matters for people who avoid animal products. Labels do not always say which.
Track anywhere. On any device.
Your calorie counter and food diary in your pocket, free and without ads, with Tide one tap away.
- Log by photo, barcode or voice, right where you eat
- Steps and workouts from Apple Health and Health Connect
- The same log on your phone and in your browser, always in sync