Each day, our bodies break down the sugars, proteins, and fats we consume and use the raw materials to create substances we need to live and stay healthy. One of these essential substances is Hyaluronic Acid (HA)—a long-chain sugar molecule that can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water!
Your body is producing this amazing water-loving molecule right now, and using it to lubricate your joints, moisten your eyes, and help your skin and hair keep the moisture they need to remain supple and young looking.
Where Do Our Bodies Get Hyaluronic Acid and How Much Do We Have?
Because Hyaluronic Acid is uncommon in food sources, our bodies must produce it themselves. To accomplish this, we build long chains of Hyaluronic Acid from two other sugars (glucuronic acid and n-acetyl glucosamine). A single molecule of Hyaluronic Acid can contain as many as 25,000 repeating chains of these two sugars! Under the microscope these long-chain molecules appear as tiny fibers, each eager to bind to any water molecules they encounter. The average human body contains about 15 grams of Hyaluronic Acid at any moment{1}, which is continually being built, used, and recycled as needed throughout our systems.
What Does High-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Do?
The long-chain Hyaluronic Acid molecule that our bodies make naturally has a predominantly high molecular weight (HMW). This heavy molecule (HMW-HA) is ideally suited to several biologic processes, including receptor binding (how cells communicate and transport substances), signaling (how cells “know” when to begin or end a process), and cell migration (how cells move where they are needed.
Here are just a few things HMW-HA does for us.
- Helps our bodies with synovial fluid that lubricates and cushions our joints during normal daily activity.
- Helps our eyes maintain vital moisture and support as we age
- Helps support skin hydration
- Helps maintain the moisture and health of our hair.
If Our Bodies Make Hyaluronic Acid, Why Do We Need Supplements?
While our bodies are quite capable of making all the HMW-HA we need when we are young, this ability begins to diminish as we age. A person over 50 may produce only about half the HMW-HA they did as a teen.
HMW-HA vs. Low-Molecular-Weight
Not all hyaluronic acid (HA) is the same. The size of the molecule, known as its molecular weight, affects how much water it can hold and how it works in your body, which is why high molecular weight HA is at the heart of every Hyalogic® product.
How your body makes hyaluronic acid
Every day, your body breaks down the food you eat and uses the raw materials to build the substances it needs, and hyaluronic acid is one of them. Because HA is uncommon in everyday foods, your body makes its own by linking together two simple sugars, glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine, in a long repeating chain. A single HA molecule can contain up to around 25,000 of these sugar pairs. Under a microscope, these long chains look like tiny fibers, and each one is ready to bind any water it meets, holding up to 1,000 times its own weight. The average adult carries about 15 grams of HA at any time, and the body is constantly building, using and recycling it.
What "high molecular weight" means
Molecular weight is simply a measure of how big a molecule is. Because HA is a chain, its size depends on how long that chain is. A long chain with thousands of sugar pairs is high molecular weight (HMW) HA, while a short chain is low molecular weight (LMW) HA. The HA your body naturally makes in healthy joints, skin and eyes is predominantly the long-chain, high molecular weight form. These large molecules also play a part in how your cells communicate with each other, move where they're needed, and know when to start or stop everyday processes.
What HMW HA does for your body
High molecular weight HA is the form your body relies on in the places that need the most moisture and cushioning. In your joints, it gives synovial fluid its thick, gel-like texture, helping to lubricate and cushion your joints during everyday activity. In your eyes, it helps maintain the moisture and structure of the vitreous humor. In your skin, it holds water to keep skin plump, smooth and supple. And in your scalp, it helps keep the skin around your hair follicles hydrated, supporting healthy-looking, lustrous hair.
High vs. low molecular weight HA
As interest in hyaluronic acid has grown, more products have appeared on the market, and many use low molecular weight HA, which is often easier and less costly to produce. The difference matters. The larger the HA molecule, the more water it can hold and the thicker, more cushioning the gel it forms, which is exactly what your joints need from synovial fluid. Smaller molecules may not have the same hydrating and cushioning power. Research also suggests that HA molecules of different sizes behave differently in the body, and the long-chain form is the one your body naturally produces and recognizes. That's why we believe the best way to support your body's HA is with the same kind it already makes.
Why supplement if your body makes its own?
When we're young, our bodies easily make all the high molecular weight HA they need. As we get older, that ability gradually slows, and by our 50s we may have only about half the HA we had in our 20s. Our joints, eyes, skin and hair still need the same moisture and cushioning, so many people choose to support their body's supply with an oral supplement, a topical serum, or both.* To find out how much HA your body uses, read How Much Hyaluronic Acid Does My Body Need?
The Hyalogic® difference
For more than 20 years, Hyalogic® has used high molecular weight hyaluronic acid in our products, because it's the form your body knows best. Our HA is made through natural fermentation rather than from animal sources, so it's considered vegan-friendly. You'll find it in our supplements, including Synthovial SEVEN®, the Optimize HA Capsule and the HA Gummy, as well as in our skincare, such as Pure HA Serum.*
What to look for in an HA product
When you're choosing a hyaluronic acid product, it comes down to three things:
- Molecular weight: look for high molecular weight HA, the same long-chain form your body produces naturally.
- Source: HA made through fermentation is non-animal and considered vegan-friendly.
- Clear labeling: choose a brand that tells you how much HA is in each serving, so you know exactly what you're getting.
The size of your HA makes a real difference to how well it hydrates and cushions. Explore Hyalogic's full range of high molecular weight HA products to find the right one for you.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.