A process for preparing hyaluronic acid primarily as a food supplement which is capable of absorption and assimilation by the human body includes desirable control of both the purity and molecular weight range of the resulting product. Chicken comb tissue is subjected to one of two disclosed processes for extracting, purifying, and controlling the molecular weight range of hyaluronic acid in solution, which is then dried and powdered to a form suitable for human consumption as a food supplement. The resulting hyaluronic acid product can also be used topically in creams or solutions for beneficial treatment of skin conditions, such as dry skin or wrinkling, for example.