Evidence Level
Moderate
Oral hyaluronic acid supplementation for joint health has a growing evidence base. Tashiro et al. (2012) demonstrated significant improvements in WOMAC pain and physical function scores with 200mg/day over 12 months in knee OA patients. Nelson et al. (2015) showed benefits in active adults with joint discomfort at just 80mg/day. A systematic review by Oe et al. (2016) analyzing 13 RCTs concluded that oral HA is effective for knee pain, particularly in younger patients (under 70) with mild-moderate OA. The mechanism involves both direct delivery of HA to joint tissues and indirect effects through gut-mediated immune modulation that reduces systemic inflammation.