Hyaluronic Acid and the Promise of Youthful Looking Skin

Did you ever wonder how some people stay young looking despite advancing age? If you take good care of the largest organ in your body, your skin, you may end up looking years younger than you are thanks to hyaluronic acid, a natural substance
found throughout our body in synovial fluid, connective tissue and various other tissues.

Though it sounds great and our bodies produce it, aging is a fact of life. If you smoke, stay out in the sun, drink too much alcohol and eat a fast food diet you’ll likely look a lot older than your chronological age. Unhealthy eating and sun exposure causes skin cells to slow down the production of this anti-aging compound or simply changes how it functions in the body.

Hyaluronic acid acts as a shock absorber in joint tissue helping our bodies withstand the impact of physical activity. And skin tissue loves hyaluronic acid which helps minimize damage by modulating the skin repair process, promoting collagen synthesis and drawing water in which helps plump up skin tissue.

Because it is produced by the body, hyaluronic acid isn’t considered an essential nutrient, although low levels can lead to osteoarthritic joints. Hyaluronic acid is also present in certain foods—but not many—and eating these foods can encourage the body to make more.

The secret of starches in root vegetables encouraging the production of hyaluronic acid is something the people of the famed village of Yuzuri Hara, about two hours outside of Tokyo have known about for years. This region is hilly and grows root vegetables (one like a sweet potato, one like a white potato and an edible potato root) instead of rice. Studies show that the people of Yuzuri Hara live about 10 years longer than the average American and are not affected by cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s, and, despite not using sunscreen and spending a lot of time outdoors, their skin stays remarkably young in appearance and texture. Interestingly, some smoked, others labored outside for years without sunscreen and yet their skin looked as smooth as a baby’s behind. Their sons and daughters who moved to America and adopted a Westernized diet looked older, developed obesity and other chronic health problems indicating that they didn’t win a genetic lottery. So, it had to be something else and quite possibly their hyaluronic acid rich diet.

In the United States, research shows that joints and cartilage from animals contain large amounts of hyaluronic acid, although few people want to eat those parts. As a more palatable alternative, a broth can be made from animal joints and cartilage and used as a soup.

And it is noted that soy protein contains isoflavones that mimic the production of estrogen, which encourages hyaluronic acid production. Fermented soy—such as the miso and tempeh are the best sources of soy because unfermented soy contains phylates, which prevent proper absorption of certain nutrients.

Other than these foods, how can you enhance your body’s production of hyaluronic acid? Injectable forms of hyaluronic acid can help smooth wrinkles temporarily but there is also great promise in using serums and moisturizing skin creams with it as an ingredient.

At The Healthy Choice, we want to help your skin look its youngest! Call or stop by and ask about our special line which contains hyaluronic acid priced at half of what cosmetic department store products cost.