Buchinger Therapeutic Fasting: Method, Course, Medical Supervision
Why Buchinger therapeutic fasting needs medical supervision — and how the Tannerhof has shaped that supervision since Johannes von Mengershausen.
Buchinger therapeutic fasting is a medically supervised form of fasting lasting five to fourteen days. In place of solid food, you receive water, herbal teas, freshly pressed fruit juices, vegetable broth and, where needed, sources of protein. Naturhotel Tannerhof in Bayrischzell — "my hideaway in the mountains" — has been guiding guests through this method for generations. Always under medical supervision, always individually adapted to the needs of the single guest.
The essentials at a glance
- Buchinger therapeutic fasting is a continuous fasting period under medical supervision. It is not a weight-loss method.
- The method was developed by the German physician Otto Buchinger in the 1920s. At the Tannerhof, it was introduced by Johannes von Mengershausen in the second generation.
- A typical fasting week consists of arrival, an initial medical consultation, a relief day, fasting days with water, tea, juice and broth, accompanying therapies and movement, an interim consultation, refeeding days, and a final consultation.
- At Naturhotel Tannerhof, two doctors are at the house at the same time — initial, interim and final consultations are part of the programme, not the exception.
- Therapeutic fasting is not suitable in pregnancy and breastfeeding, in acute infections, in certain chronic conditions and in cases of underweight.
- The post-fasting phase can be extended into everyday life with "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb.
A short history of the method
Otto Buchinger, a German physician born in 1878, developed his form of therapeutic fasting in the 1920s — following a self-experiment in 1919 that markedly improved his own chronic rheumatic condition. The basic idea was simple: a medically supervised, time-limited abstention from solid food, combined with fluid intake, movement, therapy, and the doctor's attention to the individual.
At the Tannerhof, Johannes von Mengershausen brought the method into the house in the second family generation. That makes Naturhotel Tannerhof one of the oldest Buchinger addresses in Germany. The tradition is now continued in its fourth generation of doctors.
How a fasting week at Naturhotel Tannerhof unfolds
A fasting week begins not with abstinence, but with a conversation. Arrival includes an initial medical consultation: history, current health status, medication list, fasting history, goals. On this basis, the Tannerhof medical team decides how the fasting will be shaped individually — duration, intensity, accompanying therapies, movement, refeeding rhythm.
The following table shows the phases of a classic Tannerhof fasting week:
| Phase | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | Day of arrival | History, blood values, review of medications, individual planning |
| Relief day | 1 day | Light fare, for example rice or potatoes with vegetables |
| Fasting days | 5 to 10 days | Water, herbal tea, vegetable broth, freshly pressed juices |
| Refeeding days | at least 3 | Slow return to food, accompanying conversations |
| Final consultation | Day of departure | Review, evaluation, recommendations for everyday life |
Between the fasting days come treatments from the house's therapy catalogue: fasting massage, detoxifying baths, Kneipp contrast affusions, hay-flower wraps, breath therapy, light movement. Hikes, yoga and Feldenkrais are dosed gently during the fast — not as competitive sport.
You can read more about the concrete programme on the Body Detox page.
What the body does in the first few days
In the first 24 to 72 hours, the metabolism shifts. The glycogen stores in liver and muscle empty, the body increasingly draws on fatty acids as an energy source and produces ketone bodies. This is a well-described physiological process. The German Medical Society for Therapeutic Fasting and Nutrition (ÄGHE) has documented its course and medical framework for decades.
What this means for you: the first two days can be demanding — headaches, mild fatigue and lapses in concentration are possible. From the third day onwards, many guests report a calm, clear baseline state. Importantly: this is not an esoteric promise, nor a "detox" in the popular sense. It is a metabolic shift that takes place under medical supervision.
Why medical supervision is not a detail
Buchinger therapeutic fasting is not a self-optimisation cure pulled from the internet, but a medical procedure. It has clear indications, clear contraindications, and interactions with medications that need to be clarified by a doctor.
At Naturhotel Tannerhof, two doctors are at the house at the same time. The initial consultation is not optional, but part of the stay. During the fasting days, interim examinations take place when meaningful. At the end stands a final consultation with recommendations for everyday life at home. Billing runs through the private practice in line with the German fee schedule for doctors (GOÄ).
An important framing: we are not talking here about a wellness backdrop with a doctor in the background. We are talking about a house that has been fasting under medical supervision since the second generation, and that aligns its standards with ÄGHE.
Therapeutic fasting, intermittent fasting, juice fasting — distinctions
The terms are often confused. Three sentences on the difference:
- Buchinger therapeutic fasting is a continuous fasting period under medical supervision with water, tea, juice and broth.
- Intermittent fasting (also 16/8) limits the daily eating window, but does not exclude solid food.
- Juice fasting and pure water fasting are less well documented medically and are not offered as standalone methods at Naturhotel Tannerhof.
At the Tannerhof, you find both cleanly separated: Buchinger therapeutic fasting in the fasting week, and intermittent fasting as "Schlanke Tanne" Intervall in the post-fasting phase — the combination of 16/8 intermittent fasting and a low-carb diet.
Who therapeutic fasting is suitable for — and who not
Buchinger therapeutic fasting is well documented for people with metabolic concerns, certain rheumatic complaints, stress and exhaustion syndromes, allergies and food intolerances. It is also suitable for people who want to begin a conscious dietary change.
Therapeutic fasting is not suitable in pregnancy or breastfeeding, in acute infections, in certain chronic conditions, in cases of underweight, and in certain psychiatric pre-existing conditions. The Tannerhof medical team clarifies these points before arrival in a personal conversation — not as a form, but as a decision.
After the fast: the refeeding days and "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb
The fasting week does not end on the final fasting day. The refeeding days are the part that carries the effect into everyday life: a slow return to solid food, observation of one's own hunger and satiety cues, the first conscious decisions about what comes onto the plate after the journey home.
Guests who want to use fasting as a gateway into a dietary change find the "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb at the Tannerhof as a follow-on. Two variants:
- "Schlanke Tanne" Intervall — a combination of 16/8 intermittent fasting and a low-carb diet. No breakfast; lunch and dinner both low carb.
- "Schlanke Tanne" 3 — three low-carb meals across the day, with lunch as the main meal.
More on this in the Nutrition programme.
FAQs
The Tannerhof medical team decides this in a personal conversation before your arrival. The fundamental prerequisite is a stable state of health. In the case of chronic conditions, ongoing medication or pre-surgery situations, the medical team clarifies individually whether and in what form therapeutic fasting is suitable.
For fasting newcomers, the Tannerhof medical team recommends at least a full week — a relief day, five fasting days, three refeeding days. Experienced fasters often choose eight to ten fasting days. Anything shorter than a week is rarely meaningful medically.
Yes, some weight loss almost always occurs. The effect remains stable, however, only if you take the refeeding days and an adjusted diet afterwards seriously. Therapeutic fasting is not a weight-loss method but a metabolic reset with weight loss as a side effect.
The Tannerhof medical team clarifies this in your intake examination. Some medications need adjustment in dose or timing, others remain unchanged. Please bring a complete list of your medications.
Gentle movement yes, athletic exertion no. Hikes, yoga, Feldenkrais and breath therapy are part of the programme — measured, dosed, without exhaustion. The Tannerhof medical team determines individually what suits you.
Quellen
- German Medical Society for Therapeutic Fasting and Nutrition (ÄGHE) — aerztegesellschaft-heilfasten.de
- In-house source: tradition of therapeutic fasting at Naturhotel Tannerhof, introduced by Johannes von Mengershausen (second family generation).
- Otto Buchinger (1878–1966), German physician and developer of the therapeutic fasting method.
Gesundheits-Programme am Tannerhof
Body Detox Therapeutic Fasting
Mental Resilience
Longevity
Immune Booster
Aesthetics
