Nutrition Journal has published a report by Kewpie Corporation of Japan, in cooperation with Toho University’s Division of Dermatology, which discussed the efficacy of ingested hyaluronan (HA) in treating dry skin.
 
Results of a new study found that daily oral intake of hyaluronan for just over a month not only counters the loss of skin moisture, but guards against skin depredation due to age and ultra violet radiation. Moreover, it found that oral intake stimulates the body’s own resources to produce increased amounts of natural HA. 
 
The report, “Ingested Hyaluronan Moisturizes Dry Skin,” also discussed the background science supporting HA for use as a dietary supplement, and identified the method in which HA supplementation can increase the skin’s moisture content by having an effect on the skin cells.
 
According to the report, the mucopolysaccharide HA was first identified in the 1930’s as residing throughout body tissues and intracellular fluids, contributing to cell health and regeneration, particularly in the maintenance of moisture levels. It accounted for the smooth functioning of major joints, maintaining the condition of the eye’s vitreous humor and more. By the early 40s it had been synthesized and was being commercially produced for multiple purposes, including topical applications and enhancing food texture. Internally taken HA was suggested as a palliative for osteoarthritis and a variety of other conditions, but evidence of its effectiveness was largely anecdotal.
 
The Kewpie Corporation of Japan, which had developed a proprietary process for deriving hyaluronan via fermentation from non-animal sources, began its intensive research phase in the early 1980s, culminating in recent studies specifically citing Kewpie’s Hyabest line of supplemental products as the only hyaluronate compound to offer documentation of its effectiveness in increasing skin moisture. This ultimately led to the development of food-grade Hyabest (S)LF-P.
 
In 2013 the proven effectiveness of Hyabest(S)LF-P was demonstrated in a study that defined HA’s role in suppressing the decrease in moisture volume and resultant wrinkle formation associated with ultraviolet radiation (Hyabest (S) LF-P vs. UV irradiation contagion on skin) as a result of daily oral intake.
 
As early as 2011 the market share of health foods in Japan was worth nearly $7 billion, of which more than 10% was tied to foods that helped enhance physical beauty. More than a third of those were foods supplemented with HA. 
 
For more information: www.kewpie.co.jp/english