The "Announcement on 15 "Three New Foods" such as Cicada Flower Fruiting Body (Artificial Cultivation) recently issued by the National Health and Health Commission mentioned that sodium hyaluronate has been approved as a new food raw material and can be used in ordinary food additions. Sodium hyaluronate, also known as hyaluronic acid, is a common raw material in medical cosmetology. Today, hyaluronic acid, as a new food raw material, can be "eaten". In this regard, many people feel new and have doubts at the same time: Is oral hyaluronic acid safe? Does it hydrate the skin? In response to these questions, authoritative experts in the food industry have made answers.

Approved sodium hyaluronate is safer

"Hyaluronic acid is widely used in medical beauty in industrial production, especially in the cosmetics industry. Therefore, as a food raw material, I prefer to call it sodium hyaluronate, which is more rigorous." Zhejiang Food Additives Association Secretary-General He Chunyi said.

In 1934, Columbia University ophthalmology professor Carl Mayer and others isolated a high-molecular polysaccharide from the vitreous of bovine eye and named it Hyaluronic Acid, translated as "hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid". At the same time, scientists have also isolated the substance from tissues such as joint synovial fluid, chicken comb, and umbilical cord. Chemically, sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid.

"Hyaluronic acid naturally exists in the human body, and it is widely found in the joint cavity, skin, vitreous body, cartilage, umbilical cord and other tissues." said Sun Shuxia, honorary chairman of the Food Nutrition and Safety Professional Committee of the China Health Care Association, "This approval has been approved. The sodium hyaluronate is produced by fermentation of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, which belongs to biological preparations, and is safer than chemical synthesis."

Regarding safety, He Chunyi also gave a positive answer. He explained that, by definition, a new food raw material has the characteristics of a food raw material, meets the required nutritional requirements, is non-toxic and harmless, does not cause any acute, subacute, chronic or other potential hazards to human health, and is in Our country has no traditional eating habits. "After the declaration of new food raw materials, the National Health and Health Commission commissioned the review agency to organize experts to review its safety assessment materials in accordance with legal procedures. Therefore, oral hyaluronic acid, as a new food raw material, consumers can rest assured when eating. "

However, Sun Shuxia and He Chunyi also reminded that due to insufficient data on the safety of sodium hyaluronate in infants, pregnant women and lactating women, considering the principle of risk prevention, the above-mentioned groups should not be eaten, and the recommended consumption is less than or equal to 200 mg/day.

Oral hyaluronic acid can supplement systemically

Since sodium hyaluronate is safe for most people to eat, can oral hyaluronic acid moisturize the skin like injection or external application of hyaluronic acid? According to Sun Shuxia, about 50% of hyaluronic acid in the human body exists in the skin and plays an irreplaceable role: it is distributed in the epidermis and dermis to help maintain the shape, structure and function of the skin; it provides a suitable matrix for the proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the main cellular components of loose connective tissue, participate in collagen fiber formation, protein secretion and synthesis, and play an important role in wound repair; maintain excellent matrix spatial structure and water balance, and improve the internal environment of skin tissue and nutrient supply; create a rich water and environment in the dermis, promote collagen and elastin synthesis, and make the skin full of elasticity.

To put it simply, the content of hyaluronic acid in the skin directly affects the moisture content of the skin and the degree of aging, and its reduction will lead to problems such as skin aging and increased wrinkles. "The content of hyaluronic acid in the human body gradually decreases with age. If the relative content of hyaluronic acid in the human body at the age of 20 is defined as 100%, then at the age of 30, 50 and 60, it will drop to 65%, 45% and 25% respectively." Sun Shuxia Say.

Studies have shown that hyaluronic acid in the human body is a process of dynamic balance, both decomposition and synthesis. After oral hyaluronic acid is degraded by enzymes in the intestinal tract, it is absorbed in the intestinal tract in the form of monosaccharide or non-monosaccharide with smaller molecular weight, and then it is resynthesized into macromolecular hyaluronic acid under the action of synthetic enzymes in the body. As early as in an article published in the journal "Chinese Pharmacy" in 2005, researchers found that after oral administration of sodium hyaluronate, the concentration of sodium hyaluronate in the body's blood was significantly increased.

"Therefore, oral hyaluronic acid can be regarded as a good endogenous supplement, which can hydrate and moisturize the skin. There is no risk of infection by oral administration, and it is a systemic supplement." Sun Shuxia introduced, in addition to skin, hyaluronic acid It also plays an important role in joint lubrication, eye health, and gastrointestinal health.

Oral hyaluronic acid market has broad prospects

In fact, as early as 2008, my country has approved sodium hyaluronate as a new resource food, and the scope of use is the raw material of health food. Currently, sodium hyaluronate and its main ingredient products are allowed to be added to food or dietary supplements in Japan, Korea, the United States, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. According to the Mintel Global New Product Database search, as of May 2020, there were more than 2,000 foods containing sodium hyaluronate in the world, including 554 common foods.

As a major exporter of food-grade raw materials, my country is fully capable of self-sufficiently producing food-grade end products to meet domestic consumer demand. However, due to policy restrictions in the past, the oral hyaluronic acid market was mainly seized by foreign brands. Now, the access policy for common food additives has been opened, and many innovative oral hyaluronic acid brands and products have emerged in China to create an "internal circulation" hyaluronic acid supply chain.

He mentioned that foreign oral hyaluronic acid has been released as a common food additive for many years, and the team has been paying attention. After the announcement of the National Health and Health Commission, the company immediately cooperated with the raw material supplier Bloomage Bio to promote the development of formula, product design and production. It is worth mentioning that in addition to sodium hyaluronate, ceramides are also added to the gummies to help form a dense stratum corneum and reduce the evaporation and loss of moisture inside the skin.

"Sodium hyaluronate is used as a new food raw material to be added to ordinary food, and I have great expectations for this market." Sun Shuxia mentioned that making oral hyaluronic acid into a snack product such as gummy, whether consumers are carrying or It is also more convenient to eat.