The average house mouse lives just 3 years. The naked mole rat lives on average until around 30 years old, the longest-lived rodent by far. Do Not Age Advisory Board member Dr Vera Gorbunova concludes that this may be because of their abundance of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Naked mole rats very rarely get cancer, and Vera and her team found that removing the high molecular weight hyaluronic acid from naked mole rats makes them more prone to cancer, similarly to their other rodent cousins. Thus it seems the more high molecular weight hyaluronic acid a creature has, the less likely the cancer risk. Hyaluronic acid has also been shown to have cancer-fighting abilities in humans. Interestingly, high molecular weight hyaluronic acid promotes bodily repair over other molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

Skin ageing is associated with a loss of skin moisture. The key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronic acid, as it has a unique capacity to bind and retain water molecules. In layman’s terms, the theory is that the higher your hyaluronic acid, the more moisture your skin will retain and therefore less ageing of the skin. Functions of hyaluronic acid include hydration, lubrication of joints and the framework for blood vessel formation. The size of hyaluronic acid is of critical importance for its various functions described above. Hyaluronic acid of high molecular size is present in intact tissues and has the potential to stop tumours from growing as well as prevent your immune system from overreacting. Smaller polymers of hyaluronic acid are distress signals and potent inducers of inflammation and angiogenesis, so not what we want. The reduction of hyaluronic acid in the skin by ageing, sun exposure and air pollutants can induce dryness in the skin. However, daily hyaluronic acid supplementation moisturises your skin and makes it healthy. Taking hyaluronic acid alleviates dry skin. It has been proven that oral supplementation of hyaluronic acid reduces wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid counteracts the ageing processes with its anti-inflammatory and radical scavenging properties. It also causes significant improvements in skin hydration, wrinkles and elasticity.

Hyaluronic acid may also:

• Protect against respiratory diseases.
• Assist with wound healing.
• Alleviate dry eyes.
• Protect bone density.
• Reduce painful joints.

Hyaluronic acid is also vital for brain health. A lack of hyaluronic acid has led to seizures and diminished brain activity. Hyaluronic acid has a remarkable hydration capacity, and a lack of it causes reduced extracellular space volume in the brain. This space is vital for brain function.

Head trauma, stroke, and other brain injuries that initiate epilepsy are known to be associated with an early decrease in high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid.

When taken as a supplement, high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid has a high bioavailability and reaches peripheral tissues, including joints and skin. These findings support reports of biological actions seen after oral administration of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid in both animal and human studies. This means that supplementing with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid is beneficial for your joint and skin health.

Useful links:

• High molecular weight hyaluronan mediates the cancer resistance of the naked mole-rat – PMC
• Bioengineered tumor microenvironments with naked mole rats high-molecular-weight hyaluronan induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells | Oncogene
• Hyaluronic Acid Conjugates as Vectors for the Active Targeting of Drugs, Genes and Nanocomposites in Cancer Treatment – PMC
• Recent advances in hyaluronic acid-decorated nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy – PMC
• High and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid differentially influence macrophage activation – PMC
• Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging – PMC
• Ingested hyaluronan moisturizes dry skin – PMC
• Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period – PMC
• Ingestion of an Oral Hyaluronan Solution Improves Skin Hydration, Wrinkle Reduction, Elasticity, and Skin Roughness: Results of a Clinical Study
• https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.200205-449PP?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&#_i8
• Hyaluronate metabolism undergoes an ontogenic transition during fetal development: implications for scar-free wound healing
• Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplementation for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: A Pilot Study
• The effects of hyaluronan on bone resorption and bone mineral density in a rat model of estrogen deficiency-induced osteopenia
• Oral Administration of Polymer Hyaluronic Acid Alleviates Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study over a 12-Month Period – PMC
• Hyaluronan deficiency due to Has3 knock-out causes altered neuronal activity and seizures via reduction in brain extracellular space
• Brain extracellular space, hyaluronan, and the prevention of epileptic seizures
• Absorption, Uptake and Tissue Affinity of High-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronan after Oral Administration in Rats and Dogs | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry