Hyaluronic acid

Do hyaluronic acid supplements help knee pain?

Updated 9 Nov 2026

Short answer

The evidence is weak. A 2024 review found 11 studies of hyaluronic acid taken by mouth, with 597 patients in total, most with osteoarthritis. Of these, 9 reported less pain or better joint function.[1] In a 12-month placebo-controlled knee trial, a clear benefit was seen only in people aged 70 or younger.[2]

What the studies found

A 2024 systematic review found 11 studies of hyaluronic acid taken by mouth, with 597 patients in total. 10 studied osteoarthritis and 1 studied low back pain. Doses were 30 to 300 mg a day, for 4 weeks to 12 months. 9 of the 11 studies found less pain, less stiffness or better joint function. Two studies found lower levels of cytokines, proteins that drive inflammation.[1]

Some of these trials:

  • 60 people with knee osteoarthritis took 200 mg a day or a placebo for 12 months. Both groups also did daily exercises for the thigh muscles, and both groups improved. The hyaluronic acid group did better, but the difference from placebo was significant only in people aged 70 or younger, at months 2 and 4.[2]
  • 80 adults with mild knee pain ate a yoghurt with 80 mg of rooster comb extract, rich in hyaluronic acid, or a plain yoghurt, every day for 12 weeks. Compared with the plain yoghurt, knee muscle strength rose by at least 11% in men, with no difference in women.[3]
  • 60 patients aged 40 to 70 with early knee osteoarthritis got either 3 weekly injections or tablets. The tablets gave 300 mg of hyaluronic acid with 100 mg of Boswellia serrata extract for 20 days, then 150 mg for 20 more days. Both groups had less pain after 3 months. The trial had no placebo group.[4]

A 2016 review, with several authors from Kewpie Corporation, described placebo-controlled trials from 2008 to 2015. They found less knee pain, less fluid in the joint and stronger knee muscles.[5]

What public health bodies say

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) wrote about osteoarthritis in 2016. It says that the evidence on dietary supplements other than glucosamine and chondroitin is too limited for any conclusions.[6]

Why it may work

Swallowed hyaluronic acid binds to receptors on the cells of the gut lining.[5] In mice, only about 0.2% was absorbed. The authors think that hyaluronic acid or its breakdown products work through effects on the whole body, not by reaching the joints directly.[7]

How this differs from knee injections

Most research on hyaluronic acid for knees tested injections into the joint, not tablets. Large reviews found that injections help only a little, see Do hyaluronic acid injections help knee osteoarthritis?[8]

What is still unknown

The 2024 review did not pool the results into one number, and PubMed searches for this page found no meta-analysis of these trials.[1] The 11 studies had 597 patients in total and lasted at most 12 months.[1]

Sources (8)

  1. Oral Hyaluronic Acid in Osteoarthritis and Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. de Carvalho JF, Davidson J Mediterr J Rheumatol, 2024. PMID 39886281
  2. Oral administration of polymer hyaluronic acid alleviates symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study over a 12-month period. Tashiro T, Seino S, Sato T, Matsuoka R, Masuda Y, Fukui N ScientificWorldJournal, 2012. PMID 23226979
  3. A low-fat yoghurt supplemented with a rooster comb extract on muscle joint function in adults with mild knee pain: a randomized, double blind, parallel, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of efficacy. Solà R, Valls RM, Martorell I, Giralt M, Pedret A, Taltavull N, et al. Food Funct, 2015. PMID 26302034
  4. Clinical comparison of oral administration and viscosupplementation of hyaluronic acid (HA) in early knee osteoarthritis. Ricci M, Micheloni GM, Berti M, Perusi F, Sambugaro E, Vecchini E, et al. Musculoskelet Surg, 2017. PMID 27681813
  5. Oral hyaluronan relieves knee pain: a review. Oe M, Tashiro T, Yoshida H, Nishiyama H, Masuda Y, Maruyama K, et al. Nutr J, 2016. PMID 26818459
  6. Osteoarthritis: In Depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2016. www.nccih.nih.gov
  7. Molecular weight and gut microbiota determine the bioavailability of orally administered hyaluronic acid. Šimek M, Turková K, Schwarzer M, Nešporová K, Kubala L, Hermannová M, et al. Carbohydr Polym, 2023. PMID 37182970
  8. Viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pereira TV, Jüni P, Saadat P, Xing D, Yao L, Bobos P, et al. BMJ, 2022. PMID 36333100

More about hyaluronic acid

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For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.