OIL PULLING; DOES IT REALLY WORK?

Oil pulling has been getting a lot of attention in the health blogs, and has been a hotly debated topic.

Let’s start by establishing the premise that it is an age-old practice, and by no means a recent phenomenon.

WHAT IS OIL PULLING?

It is a fancy form of mouthwash where you use high quality oils, especially ones with antibacterial properties, to clean the mouth. You are basically swishing the oil in your mouth, which pulls the bacteria out of your teeth.

The oils that are used for this purpose are food grade oils that are safe to eat. The oil binds to the plaque on the teeth and reduces the number of bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria such as Streptococcus Mutans have shown to be reduced during some studies on oil pulling.

Some people claim that oil pulling detoxifies and cures everything from acne to heart diseases. These claims are unsubstantiated as of yet. If future studies show these claims to be true, then great! If not, its benefits for oral health are satisfying enough.

WHAT OILS ARE USED

Traditionally sesame, sunflower and coconut oils have been used for oil pulling. Coconut oil is all the rage these days and personally I find it a lot more palatable than sesame and sunflower. Coconut oil has shown to be most effective of all these oils against Streptococcus Mutans bacteria which causes cavities. It is rich in medium chain triglycerides and high in lauric acid. Coconut oil is also the best in whitening teeth and leaves the mouth feeling a lot fresher than other oils.

HOW TO USE IT

• Put a tablespoon of coconut oil in the mouth.
• Swish for 20 minutes. Though it is not easy but apparently timing is of essence. According to Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Oil Pulling Therapy, this is the amount of time needed to break through plaque and bacteria.
• Spit out the oil in trash can. Don’t spit in the sink since oil can congeal in the drain pipes and cause clogging issues overtime.
• Do NOT swallow the oil under any circumstances.
• Rinse well.

COCONUT OIL IS NOT FOR EVERYONE

If you have any type of internal or topical reaction to coconut oil, then you should not use it for oil pulling. You can use sesame or sunflower oil instead.

WORD OF CAUTION

Oil pulling should never be used as an alternate to brushing and flossing. It should only be used as an addition to your established oral hygiene regimen. It can be used as an organic alternative to conventional mouthwashes.

Oil pulling gives an overall clean feeling to the mouth that you have to experience to really understand. You can do it at any time of the day but it is best done at night so you can go to sleep with a cleaner mouth and wake up with better-than-usual breath!

Have you tried oil pulling?

What do you think about it?