Every 10th wants to give up during Lent

One in ten wants to do without Lent for 40 days

04/03/2014

For a long time, fasting is no longer linked to religious beliefs. According to a recent survey, every tenth adult in Germany wants to do without something during Lent. For the most part, health reasons are in the foreground.

Health reasons in the foreground
During Lent at least one in ten adults in Germany wants to do without something. Thus, 10 percent have a fixed fast intentions and another nine percent play with the idea, as a survey of the polling agency YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency (dpa) revealed. Health reasons were important for 53 percent of respondents. For tradition or for religious reasons, 27 percent want to abstain. Of the fasting, 74 percent want to give up sweets, 52 percent to alcohol and six percent to sex. Christian Lent starts tomorrow Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days until Easter.

Fasting has tradition in most religions
During fasting, certain foods, such as meat or alcohol, are not used for a limited time. The reasons may be health, religious or social. Fasting has tradition in most religions. As a rule, this is not just about abstaining from food, but also about purifying the body and soul and bringing about a state of inner peace. Christian Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a preparation for Easter. In the Islamic month of fasting Ramadan believers refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex. And in Judaism, food, drink and body care are avoided on Fasting Day Yom Kippur.

Therapeutic fasting is supposed to prevent diseases
Even for those who have no religious motives, a time for healthy fasting and detoxification is advisable. Here, especially the fasting to call, a recognized natural remedies that prevent diseases and cure. This method is often done in special fasting clinics under medical supervision. In general, such a cure takes two to four weeks. Therapeutic fasting is used in a wide variety of diseases. For example, in joint diseases, skin diseases, allergies, infectiousness, indigestion, obesity, high blood pressure or circulatory disorders.

Various methods of healing fasting
Probably the most popular method of fasting is the Buchinger therapy, named after its inventor. The physician Otto Buchinger (1878-1966) recommends a pure drinking cure based on vegetable broth, juices and teas. In the Franz-Xaver-Mayr-cure, the colon cleansing, with the help of Glauber's salt, is in the foreground. And also named after its inventor Schroth cure relies on the alternation of drinking and dry days. Thus, only one liter of liquid is allowed on the dry days and two on the drinking days. This method is part of numerous European health clinics. Other methods are the so-called whey fasting or fasting after Hildegard von Bingen.

Almost everyone can fast
All people who are healthy and do not need to take any prescription medication can fast. However, all those who choose to fast should first inform themselves correctly, as there are also diseases in which fasting can be counterproductive. For people with diabetes, hypertension or metabolic syndrome, fasting is highly recommended. Therapeutic fasting is also used in naturopathy, for example in diseases of the cardiovascular system or in allergic diseases such as hay fever or asthma. (Sb)

Image: Rüdiger (Roger) Uwe Eichler