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Dr. Otto Buchinger

(1878-1966)

Dr. Otto Buchinger
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Initially, Otto Buchinger pursued studies in law but later switched to medicine at Ludwigs-University in Gießen, Germany, before serving as a physician in the German Navy. Due to chronic illness (tonsillitis that led to rheumatism in his joints), he was discharged from the Navy. He sought alternative treatments and found success through fasting therapy. Under the supervision of Dr. Gustav Riedlin in Freiburg, he underwent a fasting regimen with tea and water, which resulted in complete healing after 19 days. This transformative experience drove him to dedicate his life to developing a method for medically sound fasting therapy that saved his life and existence.

He was a dedicated doctor who delved into holistic medicine, exploring the connection between the body’s emotional and physical self-healing abilities. As the pioneer of medical therapeutic fasting, he seamlessly integrated spirituality and medicine to develop a powerful holistic therapy.

In 1920, he established his small fasting clinic in Witzenhausen, Germany. Later, in 1935, he opened his first sanatorium in Bad Pyrmont. He developed a fasting method and detailed it in his book, “The Therapeutic Fasting Cure,” released in 1935 and still available today. This was the initial systematic description of the physiology of fasting. In 1953, he founded a new clinic on Lake Constance, which is currently managed by his great-grandchildren and is renowned as the Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinics.

Publications by Dr. Otto Buchinger can be found in the Catalogue of the German National Library.

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The NHA wishes to remind the readers that nothing in this or other publications is intended to constitute medical treatment or advice. Readers should be aware that some previous publications do not reflect the NHA’s current health teachings or approach to health in several areas.

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The mission of the National Health Association is to educate and empower individuals to understand that health results from healthy living. We recognize the integration of all aspects of health: personal, environmental, and social.

We communicate the benefits of a plant-based diet, exercise and rest, a healthy environment, psychological well-being, and when indicated, the use of fasting.

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