Alpine Naturale Health Resources

This tool presents 20 natural health resources from the Alpine region and includes a filter system that allows an individual and targeted search for a resource.

Alongside the basic knowledge, studies with the level of medical evidence and the potential for health tourism are cited for each resource.

“Man is a part of Nature, not something contrasted with Nature!”
Bertrand Russel

Find your individual healing resource

Filter based on Form of movement:

Alpine streams altitude training brine baths cross country skiing healing baths ice scating mountain biking mountain hiking skiing snowshoeing winter hiking

Air ions

Ions are formed from originally neutral particles that have been positively or negatively charged by ionization. These charged particles are very small, have high mobility and can be spread quickly by the wind. Due to their electrical charge, these particles tend to form clusters and combine with larger particles and aerosols in the air. The […]

Alpine farming and Alpine pastures – environmental microbes

The microbiome is currently a hot topic in both the scientific community and the mainstream media. Specifically as regards asthma, the accumulating evidence indicates that the environmental microbiome plays a significant role in asthma development. The very low prevalence of asthma in populations highly exposed to the microbiome indicates its potential for disease prevention. These […]

Alpine milk and dairy products

An old farmers’ maxim says that the grass is always better the higher one goes, and at the top it is so good that even the farmers might like to eat it. In fact, plant growth diminishes with altitude and with it the yield, but as the intensity of sunshine increases, Alpine plants process greater […]

Alpine mountain hiking

The main reasons for hiking are experiencing nature, fresh air, the beauty of nature and landscape, fauna and flora. Another aspect that is becoming increasingly important is health as a motive for hiking holidays, with the scientific evidence of the positive effects of hiking on health and well-being now constantly growing. One of the first […]

Alpine streams for Kneipp hydrotherapy

Kneipp water applications are among the therapies commonly used in the field of naturopathy. The list of indications for Kneipp hydrotherapy is long yet the scientific evidence is hardly explored by clinical studies. In many cases its application is based upon experiential judgment. Core elements of Kneipp’s hydrotherapeutic treatments are treading water, hot and cold […]

Alpine water – blue spaces

Water is one of the most important physical and aesthetic landscape elements. Humans have always been attracted by rivers, lakes and the sea. What impact do aquatic environments have on people’s health? While the health benefits of green spaces are quite well explored, little analysis has been made of “blue spaces” and even less of […]

Apitherapy

Apitherapy is the medical use of honey products such as honey itself, propolis, royal-jelly, beeswax or bee venom to treat various diseases in complementary medicine. Honey has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes such as healing wounds, tissue regeneration, alleviating gastrointestinal disorders, gingivitis and various other pathologies. Beekeeping and apitherapy have a long […]

Balneotherapy in Alpine healing waters

In the strict sense of the term, balneotherapy is defined as the use of baths containing thermal mineral waters from natural springs at a temperature of at least 20°C and with a mineral content of at least 1 g⁄l. The temperature of the thermal water is usually around 20 degrees. Balneotherapy has been used since […]

Forest therapy

In recent years there has been considerable and increasing attention paid to using the forest environment as a place for recreation and health promotion. This trend comes from Japan, where it is called shinrin-yoku, a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere through all of our senses” or, more simply, “forest bathing”. Alpine forests […]

High altitude (2,500+ metres)

Altitude training is a popular strategy among athletes to improve sea-level performance. Altitude training is today a standard training routine in many endurance sports to increase physical capacity. Studies of medical evidence: Resource: altitude training. Indication: stamina and performance (Ploszczyca, Langfort & Czuba, 2018; Lundby & Robach, 2016): evidence level Ib Although altitude training is […]

Honey

Honey is a highly nutritional food with a low glycaemic index. Honey consumption reduces blood sugar levels and prevents excessive weight gain. It also improves lipid metabolism by reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein while increasing high-density lipoprotein, decreasing the risk of atherogenesis. In addition, honey enhances insulin sensitivity that further stabilizes blood glucose […]

Medium altitude (1,000 – 2,500 metres)

In contrast to UV radiation, which increases with altitude and is associated with vitamin D synthesis, fine dust pollution reduces as the altitude increases. Furthermore, shorter flowering phases and more extreme weather conditions lead to a change in vegetation at higher altitudes, which in turn significantly reduces allergen concentrations compared to lower-lying natural habitats. The […]

Plants / phytotherapy

Alpine herbs and plants are an essential part of traditional European folk medicine. Knowledge of herbs was deeply rooted in the rural population, as medical care was difficult to obtain. Indigenous plants and herbs were therefore used for medical purposes. Today, Alpine herbs are witnessing a revival as public interest in the region’s natural treasures […]

Protected areas & biodiversity

The Alps are among the richest regions in Europe for the variety of their landscapes and their plant and animal species. As the loss or destruction of habitats is the most direct threat to biodiversity, protected areas are crucial in countering the continuing loss of ecosystems and species. All in all, more than 1,000 large […]

Radon

Radon therapy has been used in central Europe since the beginning of the 20th century. It uses radon, a chemically inert, naturally radioactive gas for treating various diseases. Its main application is as a non-pharmacological treatment option for various inflammatory rheumatic diseases. For treatment purposes, radon is commonly applied by bathing for about 20 minutes […]

Rock climbing / outdoor bouldering

Rock climbing is a popular pastime for all age groups. Several disciplines can be distinguished, including traditional climbing, sports climbing and bouldering. The Alps offer an infinite number of climbing and bouldering routes of varying skills levels. In addition, many indoor climbing facilities and climbing parks are on offer. Therapeutic climbing is a new approach […]

Speleotherapy

Speleotherapy is a special kind of climate therapy that uses the specific microclimate of mines and caves to treat respiratory and skin related diseases in particular. Speleotherapy is relatively widespread in Europe. Speleotherapy facilities vary in their environmental conditions, including as regards radiation levels, temperature and humidity. Patients are advised to rest while spending time […]

Swamp

comming soon! […]

Waterfalls

European mountain regions host numerous Alpine waterfalls that produce inhalable, negatively charged nano-water particles known as “Lenard ions” (see also air Ions). Negative air ions close by waterfalls, the so called “ionosols”, are generated by aerosolization of water droplets on an obstacle, an aqueous surface or by aerodynamic break-up during free fall. After breaking up, […]

Winter – non-snow-based activities

Winter hiking: Winter hiking is possible on all hiking trails that are walkable in winter. Calorie consumption per hour of winter hiking is around 250 kilocalories. Exercise in the sun and fresh air releases serotonin, the “happiness hormone”, which counteracts both physical stress reactions and the “winter blues”, thus lifting the mood. Winter hiking is […]

Winter – snow-based activities

Exercise in the snow: Nowadays, “lifestyle diseases” such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, allergies or even psychological diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders are on the rise. On the one hand this is due to sedentary lifestyles (on average we generally exercise too little) combined with an unbalanced diet […]