Should You Be Taking Hyaluronic Acid Capsules For Skin Health?

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that our bodies create naturally, and which can be found in our skin. It helps our skin, eyes, and tissues to retain moisture, keeping them supple and elastic. Given this function of hyaluronic acid, it makes sense that taking a hyaluronic acid supplement could be good for your skin.

Benefits of hyaluronic acid supplements:

Hyaluronic acid to prevent aging and reduce the appearance of wrinkles: When your skin is thoroughly hydrated, it appears plumper–and this plumping effect has been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a clinically proven anti-aging effect. Hyaluronic acid can’t literally reverse the clock, but it can help to give your skin a more youthful, healthy look. We also know that the natural levels of hyaluronic acid in your skin tend to decline as you age, so boosting them with a supplement may help to slow down the aging process.

Hyaluronic acid to moisturize dry skin: Research has shown that hyaluronic acid supplements deeply hydrate dry skin. If you suffer from chronic dryness, flakiness, and irritation, you might want to consider taking a hyaluronic acid capsule to help repair dryness and soothe your skin.

Hyaluronic acid to repair damage from smoking and sun: Hyaluronic acid capsules may also have surprising benefits for skin that has been damaged by smoking and/or radiation exposure. Smoking tobacco and exposing your skin to radiation cause the levels of hyaluronic acid in your skin to deplete themselves more quickly, accelerating the rate of skin damage. Taking a hyaluronic acid supplement may help to alleviate some of this damage.

Hyaluronic acid for scars: Hyaluronic acid also plays an important role in the regeneration process. Studies have shown that this substance is crucial to the formation of new, healthy tissue, and the prevention of scar formation.

Who needs hyaluronic acid supplementation?

Judging by what we’ve learned above, the people who will benefit most from hyaluronic acid supplementation are people with mature skin, people with extremely dry skin, people who suffer from skin scarring, and people with skin damage from sun exposure and smoking.

If you don’t fall into one of these categories, but you would still like to increase your body’s levels of hyaluronic acid, consider increasing your intake of the foods that your body requires in order to produce this substance. These foods include grass-fed meats and bone broth, root vegetables in moderate amounts, vitamin C rich foods such as leafy vegetables and citrus fruits, and magnesium-rich foods such as avocados and certain nuts.

Possible side effects

Before adding any supplement to your repertoire, you should make sure that it’s compatible with your body. Dr. Mercola recommends avoiding hyaluronic acid if you have an egg or poultry allergy; if you’re taking blood clotting medication; or if you have a blood clotting disorder.

Hyaluronic acid supplementation is not currently associated with any extreme side effects, but we recommend starting with a small dosage before working your way up to a full dosage, just to be safe!