How a supplement might work without being absorbed
Molecular weight and gut microbiota determine the bioavailability of orally administered hyaluronic acid.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When mice eat hyaluronan, their bodies don't absorb it directly. Instead, good gut bacteria break it into tiny pieces, and only those pieces or the fatty acids they make can be used by the body.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
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Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When mice eat hyaluronan, their bodies don't absorb it directly. Instead, good gut bacteria break it into tiny pieces, and only those pieces or the fatty acids they make can be used by the body.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 59 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Šimek M, Turková K, Schwarzer M, Nešporová K, Kubala L, Hermannová M, Foglová T, Šafránková B, Šindelář M, Šrůtková D, Chatzigeorgiou S, Novotná T, Hudcovic T, Velebný V
Related Content
Claims (6)
Your gut bacteria turn the hyaluronic acid you swallow into tiny pieces that your body can absorb; if you don’t have those bacteria, your body can’t absorb anything from it.
When mice swallow hyaluronan, almost none of it gets into their bloodstream whole—just a tiny bit—so any effects they feel probably come from gut bacteria breaking it down, not from the original substance.
In mice, certain good bacteria in the gut called Bacteroides are needed to turn a substance from the mouth called hyaluronan into tiny pieces that the body can absorb.
When your body doesn’t absorb certain pieces of hyaluronan (a substance found in joints and skin), your gut bacteria break them down into tiny fatty acids—and in mice, these fatty acids are the only things your body gets from those bacteria.
If you take hyaluronic acid pills, it might help your skin stay healthier and less red by feeding good gut bacteria that send calming signals to your skin.