What foods contain hyaluronic acid?

Since the properties of hyaluronic acid became known to cosmetologists and doctors, the popularity of this component is only growing. Today, many are interested in what products contain hyaluronic acid and whether its use internally gives any positive results. It is known that the substance is part of connective and nervous tissue, epithelium. In addition, the chemical compound is part of the intracellular matrix. The body of an average weight person contains about 15 g of hyaluronic acid. The process of its synthesis and breakdown never stops, but at a certain age it slows down.

Why do tissues need hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is an integral component of biological lubricant and synovial fluid (the mass that fills the cavities of the joints). It is responsible for the amount of moisture in cells and tissues. A deficiency of the product leads to rapid wear of cartilage, the initiation of aging processes and the appearance of age-related wrinkles. After scientists established the mechanism of action and purpose of the component, it was synthesized and began to be used for the following purposes:

1. Treatment of cataracts, joint and cartilage diseases.
2. Filling fabrics to increase their volume.
3. Enrichment of drugs whose action is aimed at fighting cancer.
4. Correction of aesthetic problems by introducing drugs into the thickness of the skin (fighting wrinkles).
5. Enrichment of creams, lotions, and other medicinal and decorative cosmetics products.

When consuming products that contain hyaluronic acid, its original reserves are replenished. The substance is evenly distributed throughout the tissues and acts exactly where it is needed.

What is collagen used for?

Natural collagen is found in many foods. A special protein is synthesized by dermal cells. It is noteworthy that the substance is a building material and a kind of glue that helps form and connect the cells of the body. It is the protein compound that gives tissues strength.

The substance is involved in the metabolism of muscle and connective tissue. Protein helps:

• strengthen cartilage, bones and joints;
• improve blood flow in muscles, skin properties;
• normalize cell functioning.

Important! Collagen makes up a third of the mass of protein.

There are 28 types of substances that are responsible for the following functions:

• protective;
• supporting;
• restorative.

At a young age, the elasticity of the skin is achieved by replacing old collagen fibers with new ones. The aging of the body is accompanied by the destruction of fibers. Sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles are caused by a decrease in the production of protein compounds, which is caused by the following factors:

• hormonal imbalance;
• unbalanced diet;
• alcohol abuse and smoking;
• natural age-related changes;
• disturbance in metabolic processes;
• diseases of the digestive system and connective tissue;
• exposure to ultraviolet rays;
• prolonged stress.

Collagen fibers are produced by sex hormones:

• estrogen (in women);
• testosterone (in men).

It is known that the production of testosterone in men occurs more slowly than estrogen. This explains why signs of aging appear earlier in women.

Important! You can slow down the aging process by consuming foods that increase collagen production in the body.

Mechanism of action of hyaluronic acid

The main distinguishing feature of hyaluronic acid is that it can attract and retain up to 1000 times its own weight in moisture. Thanks to this, it moisturizes cells and tissues, maintaining their health and increasing functionality. Considering the fact that the substance is contained not only in the joint capsules and skin, but also in the eyes and heart valves, its benefits for the human body are invaluable. By creating the desired volume in certain places, hyaluronic acid increases the resistance of tissues before they are compressed. This underlies the preservation of visual acuity, maintenance of normal intraocular pressure and joint mobility.

Advice: Do not rely too much on products with a high content of hyaluronic acid during the flu period, if you are prone to allergies, diabetes, pregnancy and lactation. The substance may cause deterioration of the condition.

With all this, the main purpose of the product remains to maintain youthful and beautiful skin. If you know where hyaluronic acid is found and correctly formulate your diet, you can count on constant replenishment of its reserves in the cells. This will protect against the appearance of early wrinkles, the formation of deep facial furrows, drying out of the skin and its sagging.

Sources:

1. https://www.healingourskin.com/top-10-foods-contain-hyaluronic-acid/
2. https://nutritionyoucanuse.com/13-foods-high-in-hyaluronic-acid
3. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyaluronic_acid
4. https://www.woman.ru/health/medley7/article/81805/
5. https://www.cmjournal.ru/blogs/mezhdunarodnye-publikatsii-i-novosti/gialuronovaya_kislota_uluchshaet_zazhivlenie_xronicheskix_ran_no_ne_vsex

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About the author:

Natalya Aleksandrovna Lukina Pediatrician,

Tyumen State Medical University

Latest articles by the author: • Which Omega-3s are best to buy • Omega-3 for women • Omega-3 for men • Omega-3 for weight loss • What is lecithin and why does the woman’s body need it • Hyaluronic acid in tablets

Products High in Hyaluronic Acid

Since it became known that food can be a source of hyaluronic acid, cosmetologists began to develop specialized diets. Initially, a special table with a detailed menu was recommended for people monitoring their hyaluronic acid levels. But practice has shown that it is enough to simply know what components the substance contains and use them in your diet. Fanatical adherence to the rules in this case can play a cruel joke on the body, which will lead to not the most pleasant consequences.

Here are the most affordable products with hyaluronic acid that should be in every person’s diet:

• Red wine. It should be as natural as possible, without additives. It is better to consume it in its pure form, rather than use it as a component in preparing dishes.
• Animal products. Tendons, joints and bones of animals, especially chickens and roosters. It is best to stew the ingredients, boil them into broths, and use them for jellied meat. There is a lot of hyaluronic acid in regular boiled meat.
• Soy products. Tofu and soybeans are a source of phyto-estrogens. And these components stimulate the production of natural hyaluronic acid in the body. Particular attention should be paid to soy milk. If consumed on a regular basis, the production of the chemical compound will only increase.
• Starchy components. This includes beets and sweet potatoes. The younger and fresher the ingredients, the better. It is best to bake potatoes for these purposes. It is generally not recommended to heat beets. As a last resort, a canned component is introduced into the menu.
• Burdock extract. You can buy it at the pharmacy and add it to your food daily. It is even better to purchase a dried product and regularly prepare decoctions from it.

It turns out that you don’t have to focus on eating foods containing hyaluronic acid, but diversify your diet with components that stimulate its synthesis by tissues.

Health of ligaments and joints

Most often we remember them when we begin to experience discomfort. This is a signal that the joint is no longer healthy and requires treatment. Therefore, forgetting or not knowing that collagen is contained in products, we go to the pharmacy to buy expensive complexes and preparations. It should also be remembered that each tissue contains different types of collagen. Types I and III are found in ligaments and bones, and type II is found in joint cartilage. Collagen for joints is available in tablets and sold in pharmacies. However, these drugs are very expensive, and in any grocery store you can buy the most common gelatin, which is nothing more than collagen.

Vitamins that trigger the synthesis of hyaluronic acid

Despite the fact that hyaluronic acid is contained in food in sufficient quantities and enters cells in large volumes, achieving the required degree of absorption is not so easy. Even if you consume all the given components in kilograms, the desired effect may not occur. To achieve the expected result, the tissue must also be provided with special vitamins. They synthesize, preserve and conserve hyaluronic acid reserves.

• Vitamin R. It is not produced by the human body, but takes part in many important processes and reactions. To replenish the supply of the substance, you need to regularly consume citrus fruits, chokeberries, grapes, cherries, raspberries, and apples. There is no less vitamin P in beets, cabbage, garlic, tomatoes, buckwheat and green tea.
• Vitamin C. Even children know how useful this ingredient is. And its deficiency quickly begins to manifest itself in a decrease in immunity and a deterioration in a person’s appearance. Fortunately, the substance is included in many food products of modern people. For example, ascorbic acid is contained in the same components that were given for vitamin P.

Ideally, the diet should be designed so that the cells receive hyaluronic acid and the given vitamins in sufficient quantities at the same time. In this case, the positive effect of such “therapy” will begin to appear literally before our eyes within a few days after making changes to the menu.

Resistance of collagen compounds

When a person eats dishes made from turkey meat, carnosine is synthesized in his body. This is a very important substance that reacts with collagen and ensures its stability, thereby preventing its destruction. This state of affairs clearly distinguishes turkey from other food products.

If we talk about the stability of collagen, then it is the most stable in beef, less stable in lamb, and the most unstable in pork.

A few words should be said about rabbit meat. It contains not only collagen, but also elastin, although in a smaller percentage than other types of meat. However, rabbit meat contains a significantly higher percentage of complete protein, which makes it an indispensable dietary food product.

In addition to rabbit meat, elastin is also found in the following products:

• turkey meat;
• seafood;
• fatty fish;
• leafy greens.

What to choose – natural or artificial hyaluronic acid?

Against the backdrop of the active distribution of serums, drinks and tablets with hyaluronic acid, many people have a question about what is the best way to maintain the balance of the component in the body. Practice shows that if you use specialized drugs, the substance in their composition will be maximally absorbed by the body. Moreover, positive results in this case will appear very quickly and clearly. Only a small part of the acid will enter the intestines, be processed and excreted from the body.

Advice: People who care about their appearance should pay attention to such a simple and affordable product as jelly. Gelatin, which is the basis for desserts, contains both hyaluronic acid and collagen. It turns out that with it the body receives two components at once, necessary to preserve youth and beauty.

In any case, when using hyaluronic acid orally, a person can expect to receive a more pronounced effect than when using it as superficial creams and lotions. It is best to combine these approaches, evenly distributing the roles of the approaches.