OIL PULLING is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual dating back 3,000 years which claims to free up the immune system, reduce stress, curtail internal inflammation, and aid well-being.
I started oil pulling after hearing about it on a radio program – lots of people were ringing in reporting great improvement to gums & whiter teeth. I tried it and noticed the benefit immediately after my teeth felt very smooth and gums healthy. After a few more sessions I noticed that coffee/tea stains miraculously vanished, teeth felt very clean and my mouth felt moisturized & very fresh.
Depending on how compromised your immune system is when you start oil pulling, you might experience some of the positive effects immediately, it may take a few days or even weeks.
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling simply involves placing a tablespoon of organic oil into your mouth (I use coconut oil, but sesame or olive are fine too), let it melt then pull (swish) it back and forth between the teeth for up to 20 minutes, (minimum 5 minutes ), then spit out (don’t swallow). Finally, brush and floss as you normally would with your favourite toothpaste (ideally natural fluoride-free), rinse your mouth out and that’s it! Simple but effective.
Why Oil Pulling?
Whole books are written on the subject but here I’ve outlined some of the most important benefits you can expect to gain.
WHITENS TEETH AND PROMOTES ORAL HYGIENE
The oil possesses natural antibiotic and antiviral properties that brightens and cleans teeth.
It’s claimed that oil pulling is highly effective at reducing tooth cavities, eradicating bad breath, also helps with plaque-induced gingivitis and removes Streptococcus mutans bacteria (which plays a big part in tooth decay) as well as other microorganisms.
DETOXES THE BODY AND INCREASES ENERGY
When our immune systems are put to work clearing out toxic waste our energy levels are drained and any germs we swallow can take hold causing inflammation leading to disease and illness. The gateway to the body for such contamination is the mouth so it makes sense to remove the toxins at source before they get a chance to spread throughout the body.
AIDS HORMONAL CHANGES, REDUCES HEADACHES AND KEEPS SKIN CLEAR
When the body is under toxic stress our hormones are thrown off-balance, headaches and migraines occur (nature’s way of asking for time out to recover), and skin problems erupt.
Removing toxins from the body that would otherwise make it into the bloodstream means hormones are not competing with immune systems, fewer headaches occur, and the skin has a chance to glow.
It is claimed that rashes and skin issues are often reduced dramatically, and even clear up completely, when oil-pulling.
By Maggi Martin