Pure Hyaluronic Acid      

Anti-aging supplements mean taking leap of faith

Date: 9th December 2008, Source: Althealth News

Q: What can you tell me about an anti-wrinkle dietary supplement that contains hyaluronic acid? I have heard that it replenishes water in the system that is lost in the aging process. It is sold in 20-milligram capsules. Is this as effective as it is advertised to be? Any information you could give would be greatly appreciated.

A: I am not a plastic surgeon or an esthetician, but I can provide some background on hyaluronic acid and the claims of what it might accomplish as a dietary supplement.

We are all aging, and I am at a point in life where the "getting older" process is one I have come to welcome. I am unsure whether this is borne of inevitability, but I have found that aging is accompanied by an ongoing opportunity to grow and gain wisdom from life's experiences and to share and learn from others. The physical manifestations of aging are another issue. Perhaps it is a control issue, as this is one thing over which we ultimately have little say. Some choose to counter the march of time through healthful eating and staying mentally and physically active to help maintain vital body tissues.

One of the most visible signs of aging is the shrinkage factor, or the loss of tissue volume, which can be particularly noticeable in the face. Habitual muscular movements tend to become more evident in various folds and wrinkles. Aside from plastic surgery, there are popular treatments that involve injections to interrupt normal muscle contours of the face or to fill in the face and its folds. These changes are cosmetic, but they have increased in popularity. One of the substances used is hyaluronic acid, a compound that is actually produced in our bodies. This substance is present in soft tissue, such as skin and cartilage, and is also present in the fluids in our eyes and in synovial fluid that lubricates joints. The physical structure of hyaluronic acid has a water-holding, gel-like lubricant quality that helps it perform its tasks in the body. Physicians sometimes administer hyaluronic acid via injection directly into joint areas with severe problems.

The issue here is that we are not talking about hyaluronic acid made by the body to suit its own needs or the compound purposefully injected to have a direct effect on a site where a problem exists. Your question involves taking this substance as a dietary supplement. The assumption is that this product will be absorbed intact and that it will preferentially go to the intended location and have the desired anti-wrinkle effect. That is massive leap of faith, not science. What happens when a substance is injected does not translate to the same effect when taken as a dietary supplement. There is no evidence, nor reason to believe, that hyaluronic acid as a dietary supplement will have any anti-wrinkle abilities. Simply because such claims exist in tandem with convincing testimonials does not make them valid.

Q: Your column on calcium and milk brought back memories from the '70s, when I was buying books on nutrition for the library I worked at. I encountered the statement in several books that (as I recall) fat was needed to metabolize milk. It was in a diet book that called for smoothies made with nonfat milk and vegetable oil. (Yuck!) I eventually traced the tale to one of nutritionist Adele Davis' books. Although Davis scrupulously documented statements like "People need vitamins," she gave no source for the dictum on milk and fat. Davis died shortly afterward. I hadn't heard the statements about milk for years, but apparently they are still around.

A I have found that every time the topic of milk comes up, it awakens the opinion from those who take issue with homogenization, pasteurization, vitamin D fortification, etc., that milk is only OK to drink if you are a calf. And all of this countered by the "pro" milk forces who have well-funded chapter-and-verse to match any "anti" argument. It is always a challenge to inform while not fanning the flames. I remember reading Adele Davis and thought her commonsense approach to focus on the nutrients in real food was a good starting point. There were some definite issues when she endeavored to fill in the scientific blanks, and the nonfat-milk-plus-vegetable-oil issue was certainly one of them.