For maximum benefits we recommend that you take 1 vial a day. Dilute in little water and preferably take away from meals. Shake well before use.

Duration of treatment with Cartilagea, the joint cartilage supplement.

You will soon see the results and feel the benefits. We advise you to carry on with the treatment for at least three months, so as to obtain the best results and keep them over time.

At the end of the treatment, please contact us! We care for you and would be most pleased to know how you got on with the treatment and how you feel. Our Team of experts (Biologists and Naturopathic Doctors) will advise you on the next steps to take in order to maintain the results you have achieved.

DISCLAIMER. As we are all different (and unique!), the dosage can be set according to your specific needs and requirements. Just give us a call or write to us for any kind of information or advice you may require. Our experts shall remain at your fullest disposal ;)

Taken alone, Cartilagea can be extremely effective. Nonetheless, for a stronger and comprehensive action, you may want to combine it with:

Sanaos Nuova Formula, for a synergistic action supporting the bones and improving the joint mobility.

Glutatione Forte, for an even greater antioxidative action, Glutathione being considered as one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world.

Omega 3 Krill Oil, Superior Quality Omega 3 with no fishy aftertaste for a strong antioxidative action.

Warning

Supplements cannot be considered as a replacement for healthy diet and lifestyle. Keep out of reach of children under the age of three. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. The expiry date refers to the product intact, stored in a cool and dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight.

Purified water, FORTIGEL® (bioactive collagen peptides), sweetener: sugar from coconut flower nectar; bovine chondroitin sulfate, N-acetyl-Glucosamine from Maize, Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) pseudofruit d.e. tit. 70% Vitamin C, natural Anise flavor, Preservative: Potassium sorbate; Manganese gluconate, Selenium L-Methionine, Copper bisglycinate.

Nutritional Values

FORTIGEL®is a GELITA AG registered trademark.

Cartilage is a strong and flexible connective tissue that protects bones and joints by absorbing shocks and reducing friction during movement.

Cartilage contains metabolically active cells called chondrocytes and various kinds of structural proteins that vary in quantity according to each type of cartilage.

According to the composition of their tissue, cartilages can be of three types.

• Hyaline Cartilage is the most common type of cartilage that is found throughout the body. It lines the joints (articular cartilage), ribs, nose, trachea (windpipe), bronchi and larynx.
• Elastic cartilage is the most flexible cartilage in the body. Its locations in the body are, for instance, external ears (auricles) and epiglottis.
• Fibrocartilage is the strongest and least flexible of the three and is found in the meniscus of the knee, in disks between the spine vertebrae (intervertebral discs) and in pubic symphysis.

Cartilage is therefore a fundamental structure and has a peculiarity that makes it unique in the body: it is not vascularized (i.e. it has no blood vessels).

This characteristic entails that it is difficult for the cartilage to get nutrients and, at the same time, to get rid of toxins that tend to build up.

Another characteristic of the cartilage is that 65 to 80% of its weight is water.

Usually, cartilage problems appear after the age of 40 and are mainly due to wear and tear.

Articular cartilage injuries are often associated with other joint conditions. A study¹ on 200 cases shows that only 6.5% presented a single lesion, whilst 61.5% had multiple lesions.

Cartilage-related disorders usually appear with dull pain, almost non-existent at times, that gradually becomes more intense. This is due to the progressive consumption of the cartilage which tends to become thinner and thinner over time and therefore loses its mechanical properties.

Natural remedies can do much to preserve the cartilage tissue, thus ensuring a good quality of life.

Let's see now what are the natural ingredients that have been included in Cartilagea based on scientific evidence.

¹Articular cartilage lesions of the knee. Ronald W. Zamber, M.D. Carol C. Teitz, M.D. David A. McGuire, M.D. John D. Frost, M.D.

Experimental Phytotherapy

FORTIGEL®

Clark KL et Al. 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 May;24(5):1485-96. doi: 10.1185/030079908x291967. Epub 2008 Apr 15. PMID: 18416885.

This clinical study conducted at Penn State University (USA), involved 147 athletes experiencing activity-related joint pain. Athletes (aged 20.1 years on average) were divided into two groups. Over a period of 24 weeks, one group was administered FORTIGEL® (a dietary supplement), while the control group was administered a placebo. The severity of symptoms was assessed by both the treating physician and the athletes by means of an analog judgment scale. At the end of the 24-week treatment, athletes on FORTIGEL® showed an improvement on the symptomatology scale.

The study confirms that FORTIGEL®collagen hydrolysate administered to athletes can reduce discomfort (such as pain) thus improving their athletic performance.

McAlindon TE, Nuite M, Krishnan N, Ruthazer R, Price LL, Burstein D, Griffith J, Flechsenhar K. Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2011 Apr;19(4):399-405. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2011.01.001. Epub 2011 Jan 18. PMID: 21251991.

The clinical study investigated FORTIGEL® long-term effects on the composition of hyaline cartilage, in individuals with early-stage knee osteoarthritis. Monitoring was carried out by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) analysis of the cartilage. At the end of the study, subjects treated with FORTIGEL® - unlike the placebo group - showed a statistically significant increase in the density of proteoglycans in the medial and lateral tibial regions, which resulted in improved knee functions.

Chondroitin

Martel-Pelletier J, Kwan Tat S, Pelletier JP. Effects of chondroitin sulfate in the pathophysiology of the osteoarthritic joint: a narrative review. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010 Jun;18 Suppl 1:S7-11. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2010.01.015. Epub 2010 Apr 27. PMID: 20399897.

This review summarizes some data relating to the mechanisms of action of chondroitin sulfate in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritic joint tissues. Researchers suggest that chondroitin mechanism of action stimulates the chondrocytes synthesis of proteoglycans and decreases their catabolic activity by inhibiting the synthesis of proteolytic enzymes and other factors that contribute to the cartilage matrix damage and cause the chondrocytes death. Chondroitin sulfate has also been shown to exert a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity.

Wildi LM, Raynauld JP, Martel-Pelletier J, Beaulieu A, Bessette L, Morin F, Abram F, Dorais M, Pelletier JP. Chondroitin sulphate reduces both cartilage volume loss and bone marrow lesions in knee osteoarthritis patients starting as early as 6 months after initiation of therapy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study using MRI. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011 Jun;70(6):982-9. doi: 10.1136/ard.2010.140848. Epub 2011 Mar 1. PMID: 21367761; PMCID: PMC3086081.

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of chondroitin sulphate treatment on cartilage volume loss in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The six-month double-blind study involved 69 patients with clinical signs of synovitis. Cartilage volume was assessed by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). At the end of the research, the chondroitin sulphate group showed significantly less cartilage volume loss than the placebo group. These findings suggest that chondroitin sulphate has a protective effect on the joint structure of the knee affected by osteoarthritis which can be therefore successfully treated.

Glucosamine

Shikhman AR, Brinson DC, Valbracht J, Lotz MK. Differential metabolic effects of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine in human articular chondrocytes. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009 Aug;17(8):1022-8. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2009.03.004. Epub 2009 Mar 24. PMID: 19332174; PMCID: PMC2785807.

This study analyzes the metabolic effects of Glucosamine on articular chondrocytes in the knee cartilage. The results show that chondrocytes absorb Glucosamine which is used for the production of new hyaluronic acid. The increased synthesis of hyaluronic acid accelerated by Acetyl-Glucosamine is associated with the upregulation of the enzyme hyaluronan synthase-2, which confirms the functional action of this element.

Gallagher B, Tjoumakaris FP, Harwood MI, Good RP, Ciccotti MG, Freedman KB. Chondroprotection and the prevention of osteoarthritis progression of the knee: a systematic review of treatment agents. Am J Sports Med. 2015 Mar;43(3):734-44. doi: 10.1177/0363546514533777. Epub 2014 May 27. PMID: 24866892.

This work shows how the combined use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is an effective non-surgical way to preserve the articular cartilage of the knee and delay the progression of osteoarthritis.

Rosehip (Vitamin C)

Sharma G, Saxena RK, Mishra P. Regeneration of static-load-degenerated articular cartilage extracellular matrix by vitamin C supplementation. Cell Tissue Res. 2008 Oct;334(1):111-20. doi: 10.1007/s00441-008-0666-9. Epub 2008 Aug 5. Erratum in: Cell Tissue Res. 2009 May;336(2):347. PMID: 18679720.

This in-vitro study investigated the effect of a physiological dose of vitamin C on chondrocytes. The results show that in-vitro vitamin C supplementation has the potential to reduce the degeneration of chondrocytes, thereby improving the cellular health of articular cartilage.

Chang Z, Huo L, Li P, Wu Y, Zhang P. Ascorbic acid provides protection for human chondrocytes against oxidative stress. Mol Med Rep. 2015 Nov;12(5):7086-92. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4231. Epub 2015 Aug 20. PMID: 26300283.

The study aimed to assess the effects of Vitamin C on human chondrocytes. Evidence showed that ascorbic acid increases the production of collagen and proteins and inhibits the differentiation of chondrocytes under conditions of oxidative stress, thus promoting the preservation of cartilage tissue.

Manganese, Copper and Selenium

Valero G, Alley MR, Badcoe LM, Manktelow BW, Merrall M, Lawes GS. Chondrodystrophy in calves associated with manganese deficiency. N Z Vet J. 1990 Dec;38(4):161-7. doi: 10.1080/00480169.1990.35645. PMID: 16031605.

This study was carried out on calves affected by a severe cartilage malformation (congenital chondrodystrophy). It was found that the feed given to pregnant cows was very low in Manganese, which caused a histological deficiency in the calves’ cartilage.

Pasqualicchio M, Gasperini R, Velo GP, Davies ME. Effects of copper and zinc on proteoglycan metabolism in articular cartilage. Mediators Inflamm. 1996;5(2):95-9. doi: 10.1155/S0962935196000154. PMID: 18475704; PMCID: PMC2365780.

Copper plays a strategic role in the physiological preservation of cartilage. This in-vitro study investigated the effect of Copper and Zinc on the chondroblasts capability of producing proteoglycans, in a porcine articular cartilage. It was observed that Zinc exerts no stimulating action on chondroblasts, whilst Copper does. This finding was supported by the histological demonstration of copper-dependent reversal of the proteoglycans depletion in cartilage.

Kang D, Lee J, Wu C, Guo X, Lee BJ, Chun JS, Kim JH. The role of selenium metabolism and selenoproteins in cartilage homeostasis and arthropathies. Exp Mol Med. 2020 Aug;52(8):1198-1208. doi: 10.1038/s12276-020-0408-y. Epub 2020 Aug 13. PMID: 32788658; PMCID: PMC7423502.

The study investigates the link between Selenium deficiency and selenoproteins dysregulation that are associated with impaired redox homeostasis in cartilage leading to the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, and similar pathological conditions.

I nostri testi hanno scopo divulgativo, non vanno intesi come indicazione di diagnosi e cura di stati patologici e non vogliono sostituirsi in alcun modo al parere del Medico.