Passion for joints and connective tissue
Swiss Alp Health is a manufacturer of a high-quality healthy food product based on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. All products are fully manufactured in Switzerland.
Leader of the musculoskeletal system
Passionately committed to the development of complex formulations for joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bones and muscle tissue. Our formulations are based on science and the experience of leading cartilage and mobility experts. We are an active member of the International Society for Cartilage Recovery (ICRS).
Our story
We have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years for Swiss and international companies, developing and marketing a number of healthcare services in Switzerland and around the world. Over the years, we have paid special attention to mobility and connective tissue structure.
Our decision to focus on the specific features of joint mobility and connective tissue structure was, of course, made because one of our founders had chronic joint pain. Her knee pain began 30 years ago from a sports accident that developed severe osteoarthritis of the knee. He was too young to replace his new knee, he explored all other ways to stay mobile, and he finally developed his own recipe for nutrition and newer cartilage knowledge!
Founder's Testimony - "How the Football Game Changed My Life"
"It all started with a football game 30 years ago in the United States. I was an exchange student in Switzerland, enjoying years of life further afield. During a football game, I broke my inner and cross ties. The next day the operation was performed. Everything looked fine until a week later. I had a high fever and doctors diagnosed post-operative staphylococcal infection. Doctors were unable to get rid of the infection for six months, despite high doses of antibiotics and six more surgeries. Finally, happiness smiled and I was healed.
However, two years later in triathlon, I felt acute pain for the first time and my knee became swollen. The doctor diagnosed cartilage with severe degeneration of the entire knee. He told me I had osteoarthritis because of a surgical infection. My knee was in poor condition and he explained to me the possibilities of an artificial knee, but said it was not possible for me because I was too young.
While studying biology, I became increasingly interested in the extracellular matrix and cartilage-forming compounds. Considering mostly very simple cartilage formulations, I decided to create my own and the most perfect cartilage diet plan. It was the beginning of an exciting journey and constant learning about the science of cartilage and the possibility of joint homeostasis. Today I am an active member of the International Society for Cartilage Recovery (ICRS, www.cartilage.org).
My main goal was to stop cartilage degeneration and improve my mobility without pain and inflammation. Today I still have an “old” knee and do a lot of sports (cycling, walking, skiing, cross-country skiing, swimming) and all this without pain. We need to keep our joints in homeostasis! My original cartilage composition has definitely helped me in this fight. I feel healthy today when I was 50 when I felt in my 30s. ”
Research and development
Swiss Alp Health is developing innovative formulations, bringing significant benefits to customers / patients. We focus our developments on particularly comprehensive formulations that are unique in their complexity and dosage of ingredients.
Our development activities focus on:
For joints, cartilage, tendons and ligaments
For skin and connective tissue (anti-aging)
For the musculoskeletal system
For women's health
The founder of Swiss Alp Health is an active member of the research group: the International Society for Cartilage Recovery (ICRS) (www.cartilage.org). The ICRS includes more than 1200 well-known physicians and researchers focusing on their research or clinical work on cartilage.
Together with ExtraCellMatrix, we have developed a product for articular cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bone tissue that is fundamentally different from standard products (read under the products).
Together with ExtraCellWoman, we have developed a product with a unique composition in the world. A multidisciplinary team of experts (pharmacists, biologists, food specialists, doctors) worked intensively to create a unique community of 32 components in two years. ExtraCellWoman is a product for women's health and beauty (read the product below).
Two - phase program
Nutrition of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones and connective tissue.
- Preliminary stage
Take one stick (one sachet) ExtraCellMatrix ECM Drink per day for 2-3 consecutive months. (Available in orange or berry flavor)
- Maintenance phase
After daily administration of ExtraCellMatrix ECM Drink for at least two consecutive months from the initial phase, we recommend a maintenance phase, according to individual needs.
You can choose between three products:
During the maintenance phase, it is recommended to consume a maximum of 2 to 3 sachets per week. Note In the long run, you can take ExtraCellMatrix ECM Drink every day if you think it is needed.
In the maintenance phase, the daily dose is 3 to 4 tablets.
Daily amount of two spoons (10 g) of powder mixed with 2 dl (200 ml) of water or milk. (5 g of product in a spoon).
Ideally, ChondroCollagen should become your daily breakfast. (Vanilla berry flavor also available)
Building blocks of cartilage, tendons, ligaments and skin
Cartilage, tendon and ligament tissues have strong common features. They are part of the "extracellular matrix" or connective tissue. The main building blocks of these significantly different tissues are the same: collagen fibers, elastin fibers, and proteoglycans.
Collagen
is a protein found only in animals and humans. Plants don't have it. Collagen is the most common protein in the human body and is made up of amino acids that are in exact sequence. Collagen fibers are very resistant to tension and are difficult to stretch. They give the tissues durability and strength. For this reason, they are often referred to as "structure proteins". The subgroups of collagens are different: types 1 and 3 are found mainly in the skin, tendons, ligaments, bones and teeth, while type 2 collagen is mainly found in articular cartilage (hyaline and elastic cartilage).
Procollagen consists of three long protein chains that hold each other through the disulfide and hydrogen bonds. Together with these three long protein chains, the triple helix collagen or procollagen is formed (see picture).
Illustration: collagen triple helix or procollagen
Many collagen triple helixes form fibrils and many fibrils form collagen fibers. We can imagine collagen fiber as a huge steel cable.
Amino acids
The smallest building blocks of collagen and elastin fibers are amino acids. In total, there are twenty different amino acids found in all proteins in the human body. Eight of these 20 amino acids are important, meaning that they are not produced by the human body (isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine). If there are not enough essential amino acids, other amino acids cannot be used to create new proteins and they become sugar and fat. That is why the human body needs enough and regular food that contains important amino acids.
The following amino acids are present in collagen: glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. The precursor to glycine synthesis is threonine, an essential amino acid. Methionine is a sulfur-containing amino acid and lysine is important for the synthesis of collagen and elastin in connective tissues.
Proteoglycans is the third most important element in connective tissues, especially in cartilage. Proteoglycans are negatively charged and bind to water molecules. They give a typical gelatinous consistency to connective tissues. Proteoglycans are located between the collagen and elastin fibers and allow the molecules to move through the matrix, including feeding the surrounding tissues.
We can imagine the shape of proteoglycans like spruce trees: the stem is made of hyaluronic acid, the branches would then be chondroitin, glucosamine, dermatan and keratan sulfates (see figure).
Elements containing sulfur in the form of sulphate appear to be important in maintaining the shape of collagen and maintaining the normal function of proteoglycans, as they are negatively charged and allow water and moisture to be retained in cartilage and connective tissue due to disulfide bonds.
Illustration: proteoglycan
With age, the synthesis of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans (especially chondroitin sulphates) decreases naturally. Productive cells (chondroblasts and fibroblasts) become less productive with age.