Tag: Latest Craze

Let’s start out by looking at what hyaluronic acid actually is.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring biopolymer, which serves important biological functions in bacteria and higher animals including humans. Naturally occurring, hyaluronic acid may be found in the tissue of higher animals, in particular as intercellular space filler. HA is found in greatest concentrations in the vitreous humour of the eye and in the synovial fluid of articular joints, but is also found in the skin, connective tissue and elsewhere in the body.

Hyaluronic acid was made ‘famous’ by an ABC News report in which Connie Chung visited a Japanese village by the name of Yuzurihara. She found that the people there were living longer, looked younger, and were more flexible and active than their western counterparts. These Japanese villagers, in their 80s and 90s, have smooth wrinkle-less skin, a full head of hair and apparently no need for glasses.

So what is it, that allows these Japanese to be so much more youthful, lead active, productive lives at their advanced age, where as in western countries most people in their 80s and beyond are in old-age homes?

The conclusion drawn in the ABC report was that these people ate ‘sticky vegetables’ and that this factor was the secret to their apparent youth. In addition, the oestrogen-like molecules in their diet, fermented forms of soy in miso paste and tofu, seem to play an important role. These molecules, along with natural oestrogen, send a signal to the fibroblast cells to make more hyaluronic acid. But is this the whole answer? – I don’t think so, but I’ll get to this a little later.

Next, let’s look at what Hyaluronic acid does.

According to scientific research by a variety of Universities and researchers, hyaluronic acid is used in the human body to cushion and lubricate joints, eyes, the skin, and heart valves (see http://www.ctds.info/hyaluronic_acid.html for an in-depth look at all the different diseases, syndromes and conditions). Some treatments, which involve the use of hyaluronic acid include: treatment for osteoarthritis and other joint problems, as well as a range of eye disorders, retinal detachment, and some cardiovascular disorders.

By:

About the Author: