Diet & Fitness

Topical application of hyaluronic acid and related compounds is sometimes used in skin wound dressings to improve healing.² One controlled trial found a hyaluronic acid compound helpful for healing skin ulcers associated with chronic venous insufficiency.³ Improved healing of nasal surgery wounds with topical hyaluronic acid was reported in one controlled study,⁴ but not in another.⁵ A double-blind study found improved healing of perforated eardrums in patients using drops of 1% sodium hyaluronate.⁶ Whether oral hyaluronic acid supplements might improve wound healing has not been investigated.

A controlled trial found that topical application of a hyaluronic acid compound with compression bandaging was significantly better than bandaging alone for healing chronic venous skin ulcers.⁷No research has investigated whether oral hyaluronic acid supplements might be similarly effective.

Topical application of hyaluronic acid and related compounds is sometimes used in skin wound dressings to improve healing.⁸ One controlled trial found a hyaluronic acid compound helpful for healing skin ulcers associated with chronic venous insufficiency.⁹ Improved healing of nasal surgery wounds with topical hyaluronic acid was reported in one controlled study,¹⁰ but not in another.¹¹ A double-blind study found improved healing of perforated eardrums in patients using drops of 1% sodium hyaluronate.¹² Whether oral hyaluronic acid supplements might improve wound healing has not been investigated.

Hyaluronic acid is an important connective tissue component in the gums.¹³ Double-blind studies of topical hyaluronic acid treatments have shown that applying either a gel twice a day or a spray five times per day to the gum tissues helps reduce bleeding tendency and other indicators of gingivitis.^14,15 However, plaque removal is still necessary for best results, and one study found that adding weekly topical hyaluronic acid treatments to a single session of scaling and root planing did not make a significant difference in healing.¹⁶ No research has investigated whether hyaluronic acid supplements that are swallowed are effective for treating gingivitis.

Hyaluronic acid is a normal component of joint fluid, but its amount and molecular structure are altered in osteoarthritic joints.¹⁷ Injection of hyaluronic acid compounds into osteoarthritic joints, primarily the knee, has been investigated in many double-blind trials with some improvement demonstrated.^18,19,20 However, no research has been done to determine whether oral supplementation with hyaluronic acid is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.