Can you swallow joint stuff and get it in your joints?
Absorption, uptake and tissue affinity of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan after oral administration in rats and dogs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Orally administered high-molecular-weight hyaluronan was detected in connective tissues like joints and vertebrae within 15 minutes and persisted for 48 hours.
It’s widely believed that molecules this large (hyaluronan is >500 kDa) cannot cross the intestinal barrier—this study suggests they might, at least in animals.
Practical Takeaways
If you take hyaluronan supplements, know that animal data shows a small amount may reach connective tissues—but most passes through your gut.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Orally administered high-molecular-weight hyaluronan was detected in connective tissues like joints and vertebrae within 15 minutes and persisted for 48 hours.
It’s widely believed that molecules this large (hyaluronan is >500 kDa) cannot cross the intestinal barrier—this study suggests they might, at least in animals.
Practical Takeaways
If you take hyaluronan supplements, know that animal data shows a small amount may reach connective tissues—but most passes through your gut.
Publication
Journal
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Year
2008
Authors
L. Balogh, A. Polyák, D. Máthé, R. Király, Juliana Thuroczy, Márián Teréz, G. Jánoki, Yaoting Ting, L. Bucci, A. Schauss
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Claims (5)
When rats swallow a special kind of big molecule labeled with a traceable marker, most of it comes out in their poop within two days — like 9 out of 10 pieces or more.
When you give a big sugar-like molecule called hyaluronan to rats and dogs by mouth, it spreads through their bodies in a different way than a radioactive substance called technetium pertechnetate does.
When someone swallows a substance called technetium pertechnetate, it quickly leaves the body through urine and tends to collect in certain parts like the thyroid, stomach, kidneys, and bladder.
When rats and dogs swallow a big molecule called hyaluronan, their bodies absorb it and it shows up in places like their joints, spine, and saliva glands—and it stays there for almost two days.
When rats and dogs swallow a special kind of slippery molecule labeled with a tracking dye, the dye shows up in their skin, bones, and joints a day later—but a different tracking dye (technetium) doesn’t show up anywhere.