The Schroth Cure

A Schroth cure is not to be equated with a diet, but it also works extremely well for losing weight. What else is hidden behind the cure? We’ll tell you!

The emergence of the Schroth cure

The naturopathic treatment was invented in 1817 by Johann Schroth in Nieder-Lindewiese. The main reason was an injury to the right knee joint caused by his horse’s hoof kick. Cold and wet poultices helped him to survive and alleviate the severe pain.

Johann Schroth continued his research, but this time not on himself, but on sick animals. He observed that when they were injured or ill, they stopped eating and drinking, which gave him the idea that fasting could help the body heal itself. From the knowledge gained, he developed a therapy with a combination of exercise, fasting and wraps to prevent diseases and to support the body in self-healing.

The Schroth cure came before the Second World War by Dr. medical Hermann Brosig to Oberstaufen in the Allgäu. The beautiful landscape and the healthy climate still contribute to the success of the original Oberstaufener Schroth cure. Oberstaufen is known for the only officially recognized Schroth spa. The first guest arrived in 1949, and the success story of the Schroth cure began with him. Today the Schroth cure is part of traditional European medicine.

Areas of application of naturopathic treatment

The focus of the therapy is on losing weight, purifying, detoxifying, deacidifying and fasting. In order to achieve the best possible success, you should never do the cure at home, but in special spa centers or Schroth cure hotels that specialize in Schroth’s four rules.

Depending on the state of health, the up to three-week cure once a year is particularly suitable for patients with the following diseases or complaints:

However, the therapy is not suitable for:

  • liver cirrhosis
  • tuberculosis
  • renal dysfunction
  • hyperthyroidism
  • cancers
Pregnant women and children are also not advised to take the Schroth cure. The healing method is a so-called deficiency diet, ie deficiency symptoms due to insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals are unavoidable, circulatory problems, muscle atrophy and loss of performance can also occur.

The four Schroth columns

The Schroth cure consists of four basic elements:

  • The Schroth Diet
  • Schroth packing
  • Schroth drinking regulation
  • rest and movement
Light and air, nutrition and abstinence from food, heat and cold, exercise and rest, as well as drinking and not drinking complete the health package.​

The Schroth Diet

The Schroth cure weight loss method is not to be equated with other diets or slimming diets. Although this procedure leads to a rapid weight loss of around 10% of your own body weight, the change in diet is not a long-term, but a temporary fasting cure. The cure may be carried out once a year for a maximum of three weeks. From a medical point of view, the full effect only occurs after three weeks.

The Schroth cure diet has nothing to do with whole grain products or other specific dietary foods. On the contrary: the procedure is based on the old principles of therapeutic fasting in order to relieve the metabolism, activate the self-healing powers and stabilize the acid-base balance.

The diet plan is mainly low-calorie, alkaline food without animal fats and animal proteins, and in almost salt-free form. The diet consumed may not exceed 600 kcal per day and should be easily digestible and non-irritating so as not to burden the digestion. This includes steamed and boiled vegetables and fruit processed into compotes. Semolina, rice, pearl barley, herbs, dried apricots and plums, and spa pastries are also allowed. Fish, meat, coffee and dairy products are avoided.

Getting started with the Schroth diet is very difficult at first, but you will get used to the new diet quite quickly. After a while, the feeling of hunger subsides. During this period, your body only concentrates on detoxification and purification.

Schroth packing

The spa guest is woken up by specially trained packers in the early hours of the morning every day except Sundays with a cup of hot herbal tea. After that, the body, which has been warmed through from the night’s rest, is wrapped in a damp, cold linen cloth for about two hours and covered with dry, warm pack beds.

In order for the body to warm up as quickly as possible, up to three hot-water bottles are included in the pack, also known as vapor packs. It is tied with two ribbons to keep the heat in.

With this therapy, too, it takes some time to get used to the pack, but sweating has a pleasant side effect, it detoxifies and supports the further course of the treatment. So it’s worth persevering here.

The effect of Schroth’s packing is promising and diverse. She brings many positive qualities; Among other things, it has an antispasmodic, pain-relieving and calming and balancing effect on the internal organs. The pack ensures a rise in body temperature and an increase in the body’s own defences. Metabolic waste and other exogenous substances such as medicines, chemicals and mercury are successfully eliminated.

Schroth drinking regulation

The spa doctors prescribe drinking and drying days as well as an individually determined amount of liquid. This not only supports the self-healing process, but also promotes tissue drainage in the organism. The tissue drainage in turn promotes weight loss.

The drinking regulation of the Schroth cure contains dry days to stimulate the body’s self-healing powers. During these days there is a suction from the interstitial tissue in the slightly viscous blood. The foreign substances are excreted on the drinking day.

In addition to juices, mineral water and tea, dry spa wine is also permitted in small quantities during the spa treatment. It has been scientifically proven that wine is health-promoting to a certain extent. Wine is rich in minerals and antioxidants, which can help prevent strokes and heart attacks. Alcohol also opens the blood vessels and blood circulation and stimulates the metabolism. The flow properties of the blood are improved, bacterial growth in the intestine is inhibited and cholesterol levels are increased to HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is the so-called “good” cholesterol because, unlike LDL cholesterol, it does not cause hardening of the arteries and has positive effects on cholesterol levels and blood vessels.
Another positive side effect: The happiness hormone serotonin is increasingly produced as a result of the therapeutic fasting and the consciously reduced food intake. Even small amounts of food can be enough to make us happy and to make the cure easier for us.

The wine dose for men is set at half a liter per drinking day, for women at a quarter of a liter. Depending on the clinical picture, the intake of wine can be prescribed by a doctor, but it is by no means mandatory.​

rest and movement

The detoxification process and mental well-being are influenced by the rhythmic alternation of rest and exercise and the change in the daily amount of fluids.

There are three dry days during the cure, on which a maximum of half a liter of tea or water may be consumed. The dry days alternate with two small and two large drinking days. The dry day is also the resting phase of the naturopathic treatment. It is important to avoid physical activity as far as possible in order to give the body the opportunity for intensive regeneration. This can be done, for example, through walks, relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, yoga, meditation and massages.

Sport is popular on drinking days, it stimulates the metabolism, is healthy and ensures additional fat loss. Make sure that you don’t overload yourself and that your training exercises take place in the aerobic range, ie you train with low loads, eg with a slow jog or while swimming.

You can do sports outside at any time of the year, so you can leave the stress of everyday life behind you and recharge your batteries for your health. Golf, cross-country skiing, skiing, Nordic walking, hiking or tennis are just a few of the many sports that are suitable.

Crystal Waston MD

Crystal Waston has a degree in Cross Media Production and Publishing. At vital.de she gives everyday tips and deals with topics related to women's health, sport, and nutrition.

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