10 Health Benefits of Oil Pulling

By
Carly Fraser
-
31611

 

health benefits of oil pulling

The health benefits of oil pulling are numerous and quite astounding! Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice used to help improve oral health and detoxification. It involves the use of pure oils in order to pull harmful bacteria, fungus, and other organisms out of the mouth, teeth, gums and throat.

So how do you oil pull? It isn’t that hard at all – all you need is some coconut oil or sesame seed oil, and you swish it around your mouth for a short time each day in order to improve oral health. Oil can cut through plaque and remove toxins safely and effectively without harming the teeth or gums.

The health benefits of oil pulling are quite astounding! Many people online have documented their success and health benefits they have received from oil pulling.

 

Here is a list of 10 amazing benefits of oil pulling to help improve overall health:
Reduces Bad Breath (Halitosis)

Often caused by the by-product of chemicals and gases produced by bacteria in the mouth, halitosis can be an embarrassing social condition. If you get rid of the bacteria in your mouth through oil pulling, you can reduce bad breath! In fact, a study found that in a group of 20 adolescents, oil pulling therapy significantly reduced all markers for bad breath, and was just as effective as synthetic drug-store mouthwash!

Prevents Diseases of the Gums & Mouth

Like cavities, gingivitis and bleeding gums. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, and occurs when the immune system starts attacking bacteria in the plaque. Seeing as how coconut oil is an anti-inflammatory, it is extremely useful in this case. Cavities are also caused by build-up of harmful bacteria, which can easily be alleviated by oil pulling.

Can Help Treat TMJ & Jaw Soreness

Oil pulling helps strengthen the jaw, and so it can help alleviate TMJ and other soreness in the jaw area. At first, your jaw may be sore from the swishing, but over a course of time, your jaw will get stronger, and the pain will eventually diminish!

Whitens Teeth

Ditch the chemical-laden white strips! Oil pull instead! Did you know that conventional white strips for the teeth contain bleach, fluoride, tar, aspartame, aluminum and benzene? It is a toxic nightmare just waiting to happen. Almost every account of oil pulling has proven that it can help whiten teeth instantly! After two weeks, you will notice a much brighter, whiter smile, healthier gums and a nice pink tongue.

Improves Skin Conditions

When you eliminate toxins from the body, your skin will dramatically improve. Almost every account of oil-pulling I have found online has reported that their skin problems went away after just two weeks of pulling with oil. Conditions improved range from acne to eczema, psoriasis, and a variety of other dermatitis-related issues.

Alleviates Headaches & Migraines

A build-up of toxins in the body can lead to headaches and migraines. The standard theory that tension headaches are caused by widening of blood vessels, and migraines are caused by constriction of the blood vessels may hold truth, but recent evidence now shows that the major cause of both tension headaches and migraines is the retention of toxins or other tissue irritants in the nervous system. Oil pulling helps to eliminate bacteria and toxins from the body, so it has been documented in a variety of cases to help alleviate and even eliminate tension headaches and migraines!

Full-Body Detox

Overall, oil pulling is a great way to achieve full-body detox. Our mouth is the home to many bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and the toxins they produce as a by-product. Their toxic waste solidifies in our body and can lead to a variety of different conditions. When our immune system becomes overloaded with excessive stress, poor diet and environmental toxins, then these organisms and their toxic wastes actually spread throughout the body causing disease and illness as a result of chronic inflammation. Oil pulling will help target these foreign invaders at the site of entry (the mouth), and will avoid them from further entering the body, and thus allow the body to completely detox. The benefits are astounding!

Supports Normal Kidney & Liver Function

By removing toxins from their initial site (the mouth), oil pulling helps alleviate the stress on the liver and kidneys to help filter these toxins if they were to further enter the body. Give your liver and kidneys, our two major detox organs, a break, and start oil pulling today!

Improves Hormone Imbalances

Oil pulling is a great way to aid in the correction of hormone imbalances, regulating menstrual cycles and reducing symptoms of PMS. By improving the functioning of our immune system via toxin removal in the mouth, we also improve the ability of our hormones to function naturally. Having a compromised immune system can throw a woman’s menstrual cycle off balance, and so oil pulling can help regulate our hormones.

Helps Alleviate Asthma & Congestion

A variety of documented cases online have shown that oil-pulling has helped individuals completely eliminate their asthma symptoms and helps clear up bronchitis and congestion. These are largely the result of an inflammatory response in the body, which oil pulling can help lessen or reduce completely.

How to Oil Pull:

Traditionally, sesame seed oil is used to oil pull – I believe the main reason this is, is because sesame seed oil was one of the most common healing oils back when this practice began. Now that we have access to virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, which is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and basically anti-everything, I would suggest using coconut oil as a means to oil pull.

Since coconut oil is solid at room temp, you might want to lightly warm up coconut oil in a little saucer, but make sure you don’t heat it too high so you don’t destroy the healing enzymes in the oil. On the other hand, you can just put the coconut oil solid in your mouth, and it will eventually melt because the temperature of your mouth will be warm enough to melt it into a liquid.

I would also recommend doing this in the morning, after you wake up, and after you have drank 1 litre of warm lemon water to help flush out toxins from the nights cleansing & fasting process.

OKAY! So. Here are the instructions to oil pull:

1. Scoop 1-2 tsp. of coconut oil into the mouth. I suggest closer to 2 tsp. Let the coconut oil melt in the mouth before you start swishing in step 2.

2. Swish oil in mouth for 20 minutes. This 20 minutes is a magic number – it is long enough to break through plaque and bacteria, but not long enough to allow re-absorption of the toxins back into your saliva glands and mouth.

3. Spit out oil into a trash can. Do not spit this out into your drain! You can clog your drains by doing so. Also, do not swallow the oil or you will literally be swallowing an oil-full load of toxins.

4. Rinse with warm water. Warm water feels better than cold water, and helps to clean the mouth better.

5. Brush your teeth well! Brush your teeth with an all-natural fluoride-free toothpaste to ensure all bacteria is killed.

Sources:

http://www.jisppd.com/article.asp?issn=0970-4388;year=2011;volume=29;issue=2;spage=90;epage=94;aulast=Asokan

The Truth About Oil Pulling

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/

http://www.naturalnews.com/043016_oil_pulling_body_detoxification_ayurvedic_medicine.html

     
Carly Fraser
https://livelovefruit.com
Carly Fraser has her BSc (Hons.) Degree in Neuroscience, and is the owner and founder at Live Love Fruit. She currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a determined life mission to help inspire and motivate individuals to critically think about what they put in their bodies and to find balance through nutrition and lifestyle. She has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals to re-connect with their bodies and learn self-love through proper eating habits and natural living. She loves to do yoga, dance, and immerse herself in nature.

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69 COMMENTS

  4. When swishing for 20 mins is it one continuous swish or can you spit it out and take a break to swallow, then put new oil in yoyr mouth and continue? I am a dental assistant and im extremely interested in trying this. However, starting out im not sure I can swish for 20 mins straight without swallowing.

  5. I started yesturday and believe me you’re going to want to melt it before putting it in your mouth…It feels like you’re putting wax in your mouth and that made me gag…It is tasteless though and kinda feels like you’re just swishing with your saliva. Can’t wait until my 30 days are up to see if I can notice the benefits.

  6. I started doing this 2 days ago, I have no issue with it melting in my mouth before I swish, I set my alarm on my cellphone for the 20 minutes. By the time I get the dogs set up with their feedings etc. the time goes by very quickly in the morning. I can’t wait to see if I have good results after 30 days.

  10. I did it once last week with olive oil. But today I will get coconut oil and start this soon. Thanks for the information.

  11. I have to spit and restart before 20mins. After about 5mins I have too much saliva in my mouth and will gag. I don’t think it’s a matter of “to each their own” as much as everyone’s body can function differently so you will have to do what works for your body’s mechanisms if it differs from others <3

  12. I did my first pull yesterday night. Tonight I feel like I’m coming down with the flu. Super achy, chills, headache. I can only assume that its working. I’ll pull in the morning moving forward. Can’t wait until day 30

  13. I started four days ago and the change is already visible, my gums dont bleed and my teeth are much whiter….and that is in four days…..in thirty…wow

  14. I’ve been on a coconut oil kick for about a month now, skin, hair, body, face and i few tsps. in my morning green smoothie. never heard of using it for tmj till last week. a girl where i get my haircut told me about it, said she read an article in the huffington post? Now I see this. Im definately going to do it starting right now. I have fibromyalgia, tmj and migraines. Thanks for the info, I will report back. sounds awesome.

  15. Cassie – 20 mins goes by faster than you think. After I have my water in the morning, I swish while making my kids lunches, feed the dog, put in a load of laundry, etc. The time goes by pretty fast. If you have a stuffy nose, I suggest putting a nasal strip on your nose while you swish. I tried pulling once when I had a cold – LOL – made it very difficult to breath! Now if I’m congested, I just use the nasal strip. I used organic virgin sesame oil (Trader Joe’s.) To me, I know, I weird,….it tasted like peanuts. Anyway, made me gag the first few times I spit it out after 20 mins but overall, I am so pleased with pulling. Going to get my husband who smokes on board soon. Can’t wait to see how white his teeth will become. Good luck and keep on swishing!! ;o)

  17. Thanks for the reminder~! I did this awhile back, and it was useful. The cold and flu went through my home, but missed me entirely. I will accept your challenge and start tomorrow morning 🙂

  18. I too want to start monday morning but have no lemons so might wait till afternoon when I get supplies or tuesd ay.

  19. Hi Carly, I did this for a short while but somehow got out of the habit. I will start again tomorrow.
    I did find it great and very cleansing and beautiful feeling teeth!
    I was told 15 – 20 mins?
    And it can be a bit gaging especially before breakfast!

  20. The longer the better I guess? Every second counts. You’ll be refreshed right after. It’s very exciting and fun although a bit giggly at start but you’ll get used to it.

  22. I have been oil pulling for about one month and feel wonderful. My teeth are white and cleaner than ever. My skin is glowing. My age spots on my hands and arms are fading and my sinuses are so clear I no longer get sinus headaches. I use coconut oil and it took about one week to work up to 20 minutes so don’t give up. Best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time. Can’t wait for my dental checkup soon.

  23. That sounds like an awful lot of lemon water to drink before oil pulling. I don’t think I can do that?

  25. I wanted to also let you know that after I op with coconut oil, I rinse my mouth with hydro peroxide and then brush my teeth with baking soda. It seems to get rid of the oily feeling. The only thing its not helping with is I’m still snoring (according to my husband) . Anyone have any ideas on that? Maybe if I op in the evening too?

  26. I am hypothyroid patient and take 50mcg thyronorm morning empty stomach.
    can i do oil pulling with coconut oil and should i take thyronorm before or after doing oil pulling?
    Thanks in advance.

  27. Thank You for this info I am excited. I will start tonight faithfully and can’t wait to see the results. I will keep you posted. 20 Mins. OP sounds like a long time but if that’s what it takes to be in good health I’ll do it for longer if I had to. I have no problem with the lemon water I drink it everyday it’s awesome how it makes me feel all day.

  28. This is “the thing” I have been looking for a long long time.. I have several problems. TMJ, hair loss, fatique,severe headache due to TMJ,gum problems, geographical tongue,..
    will definetly try and let you know my experiece.
    Thank you.

  31. Been doing it for a while now But….. I usually do it after brushing my teeth. Natural toothpaste is not easy to find here and I’m hoping the Coconut oil will help remove the toxins in the commercial toothpaste.
    Death to Big Pharma!

  33. Oil pulling is indeed a trending home remedy for teeth whitening, aside from activated charcoal. The process of using this is kinda challenging since you have to wait for 20 minutes to finally get it off from your mouth, but I think it’s definitely worth it. Thanks for sharing this awesome remedy!

  34. I started a week and a half ago. I already have seen a difference in my complexion and I had some cysts on my head that have gone away.

  35. I've been doing oil pulling for over a year (doing 15 to 30 minutes each morning), and today someone told me that I should spit the oil out every 3-5 minutes, and use new oil each time, as oil becomes full of toxins and toxins get re-absorbed otherwise. So I started to google, and found your blog.

    You said "This 20 minutes is a magic number – it is long enough to break through plaque and bacteria, but not long enough to allow re-absorption of the toxins back into your saliva glands and mouth."

    Could you tell me where you found this information? I think what you said makes sense to me, but I'm also wondering… since all of us are so loaded with toxins, unlike a few hundreds or thousands years ago. I'm wondering if it does make sense to spit it out earlier and do another one with new oil. But if it does take 20 minutes for the oil to break through plaque and bacteria, spitting out early would be a waste of oil…. If you have a source for your info, please let me know. Thank you so much!

    • Hey Aiko! I remember reading it on a few websites, and the reason why most people back in the day would do it for 20 minutes. I guess do whatever works best for you, and keep doing that!

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