An ancient Ayurvedic practice for detoxification, oil pulling involves swishing oil around the mouth for up to 20 minutes every day. Oil pulling may sound simple, but it’s an incredibly effective practice with a huge range of health benefits.
Oil pulling helps to:
Rid the mouth and gums of bacteria, parasites and toxins
Promote healthy gums and prevent tooth decay
Freshen the breath
Whiten teeth
Kill fungal infections in the mouth
Improve the detoxification of the whole body
Because your mouth is connected to your lymphatic system, oil pulling is also thought to relieve sinus congestion, throat infections, asthma, skin problems and lymphatic congestion.
How to do oil pulling
Oil pulling is best done first thing in the morning before breakfast.
Get one tablespoon of organic virgin coconut oil, or any cold pressed organic vegetable oil (some Ayurvedic practitioners prefer unrefined sesame or sunflower oil). Most people prefer coconut oil for the taste and also it’s anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties.
Swish the oil around your mouth for up to 20 minutes. Make sure the oil touches your teeth, gums, tongue and soft palate. If you can’t do it for 20 minutes at first, that’s ok – even doing it for a few minutes will still have some benefits, and as you get used to it you can increase the length of time.
If you need a distraction while you do your oil pulling, read a book or have a shower. There’s no reason why you can’t multitask, as long as you don’t get distracted and swallow the oil!
Spit the oil out – never swallow it (it’s now full of all the nasties that it’s pulled out of your mouth). You should rinse your mouth with warm water and brush your teeth afterwards.
If done on a daily basis, you might even feel the difference in as little as 1-2 weeks.
Sometimes the simplest techniques are the ones that produce the best results. Are you willing to give it a go? Or if you’ve already tried oil pulling, what were the results? Leave your comments below – we’d love to hear them!