Hyaluronic Acid
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Hyaluronic Acid is a dietary supplement with 11 published peer-reviewed studies involving 780 participants, researched for Skin Hydration & Anti-aging, Joint Health, Anti-aging.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Skin Hydration & Anti-aging
StrongJoint Health
StrongAnti-aging
StrongResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Skin Hydration & Anti-aging
To evaluate oral hyaluronic acid supplementation on skin hydration and wrinkle reduction
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate oral hyaluronic acid supplementation on skin hydration and wrinkle reduction
Dose
120 mg/day oral HA
Participants
40 healthy Asian men and women
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Oral HA significantly improved skin hydration and reduced wrinkle depth vs placebo (p<0.05).
How They Measured It
Skin moisture (Corneometer), wrinkle depth (VISIA), elasticity
To assess oral HA administration on skin conditions including dryness and elasticity
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess oral HA administration on skin conditions including dryness and elasticity
Dose
240 mg/day
Participants
76 dry skin patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in skin hydration and reduced dryness vs placebo across all measured parameters.
How They Measured It
Skin moisture, transepidermal water loss, elasticity, roughness
To investigate oral HA supplementation on skin wrinkles and moisture in adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate oral HA supplementation on skin wrinkles and moisture in adults
Dose
200 mg/day low MW HA
Participants
45 Japanese adults aged 22-59
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in wrinkle area and depth; significantly improved skin moisture vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Image analysis of wrinkles, skin moisture measurement
To evaluate efficacy of oral hyaluronic acid supplementation on skin quality
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To evaluate efficacy of oral hyaluronic acid supplementation on skin quality
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple RCTs
Duration
Various
Results
Seven RCTs found consistent improvements in skin hydration, wrinkle reduction, and elasticity with oral HA.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of RCTs on skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkle reduction
Joint Health
To evaluate oral hyaluronic acid on knee OA pain and function
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate oral hyaluronic acid on knee OA pain and function
Dose
80 mg/day oral HA
Participants
60 knee OA patients
Duration
12 months
Results
Oral HA significantly reduced knee pain and improved WOMAC functional scores vs placebo.
How They Measured It
WOMAC, VAS pain scale
To assess oral high molecular weight HA supplementation in knee OA patients
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess oral high molecular weight HA supplementation in knee OA patients
Dose
200 mg/day high MW HA
Participants
72 knee OA patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in KOOS pain and physical function subscales vs placebo.
How They Measured It
KOOS, WOMAC, patient global assessment
To investigate oral HA effect on exercise-induced knee joint pain in healthy adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate oral HA effect on exercise-induced knee joint pain in healthy adults
Dose
200 mg/day
Participants
37 active adults with knee pain
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Oral HA significantly reduced knee joint pain post-exercise and improved synovial HA content.
How They Measured It
VAS pain, knee joint synovial fluid HA levels
To assess oral HA supplementation for knee OA across RCTs
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To assess oral HA supplementation for knee OA across RCTs
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple RCTs pooled
Duration
Various
Results
Oral HA significantly reduced knee pain and improved function; effect size comparable to intra-articular HA injections.
How They Measured It
Meta-analysis of knee pain and function outcomes
Anti-aging
To assess oral HA supplementation on skin brightness and smoothness
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess oral HA supplementation on skin brightness and smoothness
Dose
150 mg/day HA matrix
Participants
60 adults with dull/rough skin
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant improvements in skin brightness, hydration, smoothness, and roughness vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Colorimetry, skin profile analysis
To test 1% HA-containing cosmetic formulation on skin aging
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To test 1% HA-containing cosmetic formulation on skin aging
Dose
Topical 1% HA formulation
Participants
76 healthy women aged 30-60
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant improvements in skin firmness, wrinkle depth, and roughness vs placebo cream.
How They Measured It
Visioface skin roughness, wrinkling, firmness
To examine oral HA supplementation effect on skin elasticity and ageing
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To examine oral HA supplementation effect on skin elasticity and ageing
Dose
120 mg/day for 6 months
Participants
90 women aged 35-65
Duration
6 months
Results
Oral HA significantly improved skin elasticity, hydration, and collagen density vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Skin elasticity, hydration, collagen density
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hyaluronic Acid research
There are currently 11 peer-reviewed studies on Hyaluronic Acid (Hyaluronic Acid), involving 780 total participants. Research covers Skin hydration, Joint health, Anti-aging. The overall evidence strength is rated as Very Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Very Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (9 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Hyaluronic Acid has been researched for: Skin hydration, Joint health, Anti-aging. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 9 out of 11 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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