Regenerating the building blocks of our joint health through dietary Hyaluronans

▻ Even though with Covid-19 many of us indulged with or were restricted to a more sedentary life-style, over the last few years we have been witnessing a general increase in the level of physical activity among consumers. Lockdowns aside, an increasing number of people is either practicing outdoor sports or training at home, and this tendency is set to stay strong in the future. In parallel, awareness of one’s physical and joint health has grown as well, especially among Millennials: younger generations seem to be very prone to adopt a proactive attitude towards their own health, even more than previous ones.

 

In a world where more than 300 million people suffer from osteoarthritis, this generational shift and an increased life expectation have triggered the market for joint-health specific products, expected to be worth more than 14 billion by 2024. 

New consumers are thus looking for solutions to pursue their physical well-being, solutions able to offer a quick relief in case of pain but also a long-lasting ally to counteract the “wear and tear” erosion of the joint cartilage, slowing down the progression of degenerative osteoarthritis. Thus, the largest market shares are occupied by those molecules able to display a twofold effect: acting as anti-inflammatory on the one side, and preventing the cartilage atrophy on the other. 

Along with collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, Hyaluronans are often listed among those natural polymers which, due to their physicochemical characteristics, are the most compatible with joint tissues. Hyaluronic acid is in fact a key constituent of the synovial fluid, our biological shock-absorber that lubricates the joints and smoothens the articulations.

Orally delivered HA in the form of a dietary supplement such as SinoHyal FG line has been proven effective to counteract osteoarthritis, being associated with improving both the symptomatology of osteoarthritis-affected knees in the short-term, and their functionality over a longer period of time. Rapidly absorbed by our system, it gets dispatched all throughout the body up to the synovial fluid, where it exerts its lubricating and cushioning action.

Even though Hyaluronans used to be mainly applied for knee injections, oral assumption is becoming increasingly common for delivering satisfying results while being safe, much less invasive and widely affordable.