Why fast under medical supervision? What the support achieves

The essentials at a glance

• Medical supervision provides a framework for fasting: the initial consultation, adjustments during the process, and the final check-up create a calm, continuous arc.
• The initial consultation at the Tannerhof is holistic, covering medical history, a physical examination including bioimpedance analysis, and a medication review.
• For those on ongoing medication or with pre-existing conditions, the ÄGHE guidelines on fasting therapy explain why professional guidance is essential.
• A large observational study confirms how well-tolerated supervised fasting is, with adverse events occurring in significantly less than one percent of cases.
• The doctors at the Tannerhof are experts in fasting; supervision is provided through the hotel's own private practice.

What medically supervised fasting means

Buchinger therapeutic fasting is the conscious, time-limited abstinence from solid food and stimulants. Instead of solid meals, herbal tea, water, mild vegetable broth, and freshly pressed fruit or vegetable juices sustain you throughout the day. Fasting is more than just a diet—it is a therapeutic method, a cleansing on many levels, and an encounter with oneself.

Medical supervision isn't strictly necessary for every fast, but it is always worthwhile. At Naturhotel Tannerhof, it is an essential part of the fasting journey. Anyone looking for a medically supervised fasting programme will find the ideal setting in our Body Detox programme.

The question driving this article is: what does this supervision actually achieve? It turns fasting from a DIY endeavor into a guided process that centers on the individual. Three medical appointments form the structure: the initial consultation, a follow-up during the stay if needed, and the final check-up.

The initial consultation: holistic and medical

It begins with the medical consultation on the first day of fasting. The length of your stay is already booked by this point; the consultation fills this framework and allows for adjustments, often including extensions. The order is important: first the consultation, then the start of the fast.

The initial consultation is designed to be holistic. On the medical side, there are three fixed components:

• Medical history (anamnesis): a detailed medical consultation covering prior illnesses, previous surgeries, and current complaints.
• Physical examination including bioimpedance analysis: alongside a traditional examination, bioimpedance analysis precisely measures body composition.
• Medication review: assessing which medications are being taken and what that means for the fasting process.

Furthermore, we address questions that focus on the individual: why someone is fasting, what their goals are, and what is currently happening in their life. Only from this perspective does an individual fasting plan emerge – and only then, if it is appropriate, does the actual fasting begin.

Why professional guidance provides security

The Medical Association for Therapeutic Fasting and Nutrition (ÄGHE) distinguishes between preventive and therapeutic fasting. Their guidelines state that therapeutic fasting should be medically supervised. Anyone taking medication should not attempt to fast alone.

In 2019, Wilhelmi de Toledo and colleagues published an evaluation in PLOS One of 1,422 people fasting for periods of four to 21 days. The result: fasting within this framework was safe and well-tolerated, with adverse events occurring in significantly less than one percent of cases, while physical and emotional well-being increased significantly.

Since 1996, doctors have been able to qualify as fasting physicians through an ÄGHE curriculum. Fasting is therefore a medical specialty with its own standards. The doctors at Tannerhof are experts in fasting.

How the process is adapted

A fasting process is not a uniform experience. In the first few days, the body undergoes a transition – weakness, shakiness, or headaches can occur as the metabolism switches from glucose to fatty acids and ketone bodies. The medical team monitors this phase closely.

Within the booked framework, the duration, accompanying therapies, and refeeding rhythm can be adjusted together with the medical team starting from the initial consultation. Five days of fasting or more provide space for the transition; for first-time fasters, a week including the refeeding phase is a good duration.

Where necessary, an interim consultation is added between the initial and final meetings. The environment and medical guidance work in tandem: fasting amidst alpine meadows, mountain streams, and views of the Wendelstein is significantly more intense, and medical supervision gives this experience direction.

Fasting safely with pre-existing conditions

Studies on therapeutic fasting available through the ÄGHE categorize fasting under professional supervision as beneficial for conditions including rheumatic diseases, allergies, autoimmune disorders, asthma, migraines, type II diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and depression – described in terms of content, never as a promise of a cure.

Whether therapeutic fasting is suitable in an individual case is determined during the initial consultation at Tannerhof. Therapeutic fasting is not suitable during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or for those with anorexia. For chronic illnesses, ongoing medication, or if you are unsure, you can request a preliminary medical consultation by phone before your arrival. Billing is handled through the private practice at Tannerhof.

The full spectrum of therapies and treatments

At Tannerhof, medical supervision is part of a deliberately wide range of therapies and treatments. Guests can find an overview of our full range of treatments on the corresponding page.

Medically, the initial consultation, follow-up advice, and final meeting form the supporting framework. On the diagnostic side, we offer bioimpedance analysis, IHHT altitude training, and, where appropriate, ozone autohemotherapy. This is complemented by a wide range of relaxing treatments:

• Wraps and compresses: hay flower wraps, aroma wraps, moor mud packs, and warm compresses.
• Baths and hydrotherapy: Kneipp alternating affusions, magnesium-rich detox baths.
• Massages: fasting massage, detox massage with royal oil, lymphatic drainage, foot reflexology.
• Breath and movement: breath therapy, yoga, Feldenkrais, Tai Chi, and sauna sessions.

Exercise is part of the journey, carefully paced: moderate baseline endurance training and moderate strength training – the body nourishes itself from within.

A team experienced in fasting across all departments

Fasting expertise is woven into every department at Tannerhof. Reception, restaurant, practitioners, and therapists are all thoroughly familiar with the fasting process. This is also evident in the Fasterstube, a dedicated dining room for fasting guests – fasting is in the hotel's DNA.

The final consultation and the transition to everyday life

The final consultation brings everything together. Here, our attending physicians evaluate the changes that occurred during the fasting period and discuss recommendations for your daily routine.

Before that comes the refeeding phase. Breaking the fast is still part of the fasting period and begins with an apple. This is followed by a refeeding phase lasting about one-third of the total fasting duration. If you are looking for a lasting change, you can follow this up with our "Schlanke Tanne" low-carb program.

In this way, a week of fasting becomes far more than temporary abstention – guided by the calming presence of medical care. Rediscover what truly matters.

Discover medically supervised fasting at the Tannerhof

Naturhotel Tannerhof has offered medically supervised Buchinger therapeutic fasting for over 70 years. Learn more in the Body Detox programme and on our page about Therapeutic Fasting and Schlanke Tanne.