Hyaluronic Acid

The Fountain of Youth

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Hyaluronic acid (HA) also known as hyaluronan, is a part of the connective tissue used to cushion and lubricate the skin. It is being heralded as the fountain of youth because it appears to keep skin soft and wrinkle-free and can also erase scars and acne. The breakthrough discovery was made in Japan, in a village outside of Tokyo, where people tend to live longer than average and have flawless skin well into their 80’s. When researchers examined their diet, they discovered it was high in HA. What was even more remarkable, many of the residents are exposed to the sun all day without protection.

In his article, “HA: How to Live 100 Years Without Growing Old”, Author Bill Sardi describes HA as a revolutionary natural molecule that stops or even reverses aging. HA is the modern day “fountain of youth”. According to Sardi: HA holds water in the body and acts as a lubricant in the heart valves. HA is the spongy shock absorber at the ends of bones and holds most of the moisture in the skin. HA also makes up about 80% of the human eye and provides a barrier against the spread of infection. It helps to erase fine facial aging lines and wrinkles and can produce scarless wound healing. HA also has antioxidant properties and can detoxify the body. It is used in the treatment of joint pain. It’s most beneficial role is the ability to hold more water than any other natural substance; therefore moisturizing the skin and preventing wrinkles.

The human body makes about 3000mg of HA a day, but as we age we produce less and less. Factors that reduce HA are ultraviolet radiation, excessive copper or iron intake, viruses and tumors. This results in the collapse of tissues. HA is the only product that actually gets into the body’s system to re-hydrate and plump the skin from the inside out, and is much safer than Botox injections.

A major Japanese company recently tested HA on 1,000 subjects. About half of them said they had smoother skin and better eyesight.

A Treatment For Arthritis

There may be a new weapon in the fight against Osteoarthritis, according to a major cooperative research study between Calvin College and the Spectrum Health Flow Cytometry Laboratory.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects about 90% of people age 65 and older. It results from the accumulation of every injury we have suffered in our lives. Small bony growths, calcium spurs, and soft cysts can appear on the bones and in the joints. The joint cartilage deteriorates as the disease progresses and eventually restricts movement. Symptoms include early morning stiffness, stiffness following periods of rest, pain which worsens on using the joint, loss of joint function, local tenderness, swelling, creaking, and cracking of joints on movement and loss of mobility. Osteoarthritis can be caused by allergens, stress, past injuries to joints, muscles and bones, age, chemical imbalance, hormone imbalance, genetic predisposition, and environmental and psychological factors.

Treatment is mostly symptomatic in the conventional medical world, relying on anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. While this may be a short term solution, long-term use of these drugs often results in problems that are more dangerous than the condition itself.

Researchers, David Dewier and Kyle Sheehan have discovered that HA is particularly efficient as an anti-inflammatory compound. They went on to discover that HA interacts with a cell called a macrophage. This interaction apparently decreases inflammation as HA signals the macrophage to settle down.

Hyaluronic acid is normally part of the cartilage and synovial fluid. In the cartilage, it merges with other molecules, thus helping the cartilage to handle the force of weight-bearing and movement in the joint. In synovial fluid, HA acts as a lubricant of the cartilage against the lining of the joint and may have “shock absorber” properties. Although HA is not a cure for osteoarthritis, it may improve pain and stiffness, and upwards of 80% of patients receiving HA have improvements.

HA also promotes healing by creating a pathway of high electrical conductivity by withdrawing from an area and leaving a high concentration of free aqueous ions. When we are tense or uptight the HA in our body is tightly coiled, making our muscles and skin tense. This substantially slows down our ability to heal. But as we relax, the HA unwinds, allowing our muscles and skin to relax, which promotes healing.

A study completed at the University of Cincinnati involved 61 patients with osteoarthritis of one or both knees. They received three weekly injection of HA into their knees. Most of them reported an improvement in function that lasted up to six months after the completion of the treatment. A larger study was conducted in Indianapolis involving 226 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. It was reported that 58% of the subjects who received the injections experienced an improvement in their pain levels, compared with 40% of those who had received injections of salt water.

In conclusion, researchers believe Hyaluronic acid works to relieve arthritis symptoms by

• having anti-inflammatory properties
• having short-term lubricating properties
• acts as a pain reliever by soothing irritated nerve endings.
• may stimulate production of normal hyaluronic acid in the joint lining.
• promotes circulation