What is Hyaluronic Acid (HA)?
Hyaluronic Acid, (also called Hyaluron or HA) is a gentle yet powerful, moisture-binding substance that occurs naturally in your body. It is present in our skin, our inner connective tissue, between our joints and in our eyes. Its main purpose is to retain water, to keep everything well lubricated and maintain structural integrity. It does its job brilliantly. One single molecule of HA can bind with up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
Why is it important?
HA exists naturally in most every cell in the body. If you have sufficient HA in your body: your skin will feel soft and beautifully moisturised and the resulting elasticity will help protect against wrinkles forming; your joints and body feels supple; you can bend and stretch with ease.
However, HA has a half-life (the time it takes for the molecule to get broken down and excreted from the body) of less than 3 days in the main body and as little as one day in the skin. For this reason, it is imperative that the body continually replenish itself with HA. Unfortunately, as we age, we lose the ability to replace HA at the rate required which in part explains why age-related symptoms appear, our skin becomes drier and less elastic, and wrinkles start to form.
Fortunately, supplementing with HA can help resolve this loss.
hyaluronic acid and the body
HA is present between your joints and bones. When this area is well lubricated with sufficient levels of HA, the body feels supple and we can bend and stretch with ease. As we age and our HA lubrication levels drop, the space between bones in our joints can reduce, leading to joint stiffness, aches and pain. Taking an HA supplement has been shown to help with joint health.
Hyaluronic Acid also plays a vital part in wound healing. It works by aiding the regulation of inflammation levels as well as sending signals to the body to construct more blood vessels in the wounded area.
Lastly, HA is thought to help with chronic eye dryness which affects about 1 in 7 older adults. In fact contact lenses with slowly releasing HA are being developed at the moment. As HA is naturally present as a lubricant in the eye, having healthy levels are believed to be important in this area.
The Ingenious Secret
The HA found in most supplements and creams consists of only one length of HA molecule.
At Ingenious we use a pioneering Hyaluronan Complex that mimics the physiology of your body’s HA. Our skin contains varying lengths of HA molecules and the HA complex used in Ingenious Beauty and Ingenious Vegan matches this structure; leading to 19% more superior results than traditional HA. For Ingenious Active we use a slightly different version which, in this case, replicates the structure found in muscles, ligaments, and the joint’s synovial fluid.
Clinical Studies
Studies have shown that supplementing with the HA used in our products can:
- Enhance collagen synthesis
- Nourish healthy cell growth
- Increase hydration and boost elasticity
- Curb premature wrinkling
- Keep skin moist and smooth
- Promote firm skin tone
- Help recovery from joint pain and stiffness
- Aid physical function
