Mucopolysaccharide HA was first identified in the 1930’s as residing throughout body tissues and intracellular fluids, contributing to cell health and regeneration, particularly in the maintenance of moisture levels.
By the early 40s it had been synthesized and was being commercially produced for multiple purposes, including topical applications.
The Kewpie Corporation of Japan in co-operation with Toho University’s Division of Dermatology has been researching this area since the 80's with a goal of developing beauty from within supplements that incorporate the benefits of ingestable hyaluronan.
They have since perfected a proprietary process for deriving Hyaluronan via fermentation from non-animal sources, which has been flagged up by the peer-reviewed 'Nutrition Journal' as the only compound to offer documentation of its effectiveness in increasing skin moisture to date.
In 2013, the research culminated in the development of 'Hyabest(S)LF-P' which Kewpie says took HA’s role in suppressing the decrease in moisture volume and resultant wrinkle formation associated with ultraviolet radiation to the next level.
BFW in Asia
As early as 2011, the market share of health foods in Japan was nearly USD $ 7 billion, of which more than 10% was tied to foods that helped enhance physical beauty. More than a third of those were foods supplemented with HA.
These numbers came in well before the peer-reviewed study in Nutrition Journal, before that research confirmed that daily oral intake of Hyaluronan for just over a month counters the loss of skin moisture and also guards against skin depredation due to age and ultra violet radiation.
According to Mintel global skin care analyst Christopher Lindsley, across the BFW sector in Asia, vitamins and supplements are closely linked to cosmetic products through claims and ingredients, and over a third claim to provide anti-ageing benefits and are often formulated with collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid and co-enzyme Q10.