Naturally Whiten Your Teeth and Much More! Oil Pulling for Health

by Alanna Ketler

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing vegetable oil in your mouth for 20 minutes to eliminate toxins from the mouth and body. It is a simple practice that has an extremely large array of health benefits.

The first thing that you will probably notice is a much brighter whiter smile.

So, what does swishing oil around in your mouth have to do with your health? A Ukrainian Doctor, Dr. F. Karach once said that oil pulling was so effective that one could not only avoid taking drugs for healing diseases, but avoid surgeries in many cases as well. Wow, that is quite the claim! How exactly does Oil Pulling work?

According to Ayurveda, just like the feet, the tongue also contains a mad of direct links to the organs. The act of swishing the oil around in your mouth not only helps to ‘pull out,’ and release toxins, but the organ locations are also stimulated due to the gentle massaging action that the swishing creates for your tongue. A regular routine of oil pulling can assist with various aliments such as:

• Relief from migraine headaches
• Reduced inflammation from arthritis
• Supports normal kidney function
• Helps reduce insomnia
• Some cases of improved vision
• Increased energy
• Eliminate skin conditions such as eczema or acne
• Can reduce symptoms of allergies
• Can assist in the detoxification of heavy metals and harmful organisms to the body
• A brighter whiter smile
• Healthy looking gums and teeth

Recommended method for Oil Pulling

What is known to be the most effective oil, and that which contains the most health benefits when used in conjunction with oil pulling is sesame oil. Sesame oil contains high levels of anti-oxidants, tocopherols and phenols that prevent the degeneration of blood vessels and lowers cholesterol. It also contains phytic acid, which has been shown to actually slow down the aging process. However, you can still use any cold-pressed organic oil. Next in line would be sunflower, and then coconut oil. Some studies show that there is a benefit in rotating between a few different types of oils as well. Sesame oil might be a bit too strong of an oil to start out with.

Oil pulling should be done on an empty stomach, so it is suggested that this method is done in the morning as soon as you wake up, before you even have a glass of water. To begin you take 1 tablespoon of oil in your mouth and begin to gently swish it around. You don’t want to do this too vigorously or you will never get through the whole 20 minutes, as your mouth will get tired. At first the feeling of having oil in your mouth may be a little bit off-putting, but you will soon get used to it. You should be able to swish the oil around for 20 minutes, but if at first this is too much for you to handle, that is OK you can just spit it out and try to increase the time the next day, it becomes a lot more bearable, trust me. Just make sure that you DO NOT swallow the oil. If you feel like you might accidentally swallow it remember it is better to spit it out and then try again.

After you spit the oil out, you can brush your teeth right away, as always I recommend a fluoride-free toothpaste or just plain old baking soda, but that is entirely up to you. Some people prefer to gargle some salt water around in their mouth before brushing, but it is not necessary. I would advise to have a separate toothbrush that you use for after oil pulling. You can eat or drink immediately afterwards.

Like I was, you may be skeptical at first because of the fact that it is so simple and provides such amazing results, but once you try it you will see for yourself. This is a super simple, cost-effective way to detoxify your body naturally. What have you got to lose? Give it a shot!

For more information please check out http://oilpulling.com/

Hi, I’m Alanna! I have been a contributor with Collective Evolution for about 3 years now and wow, has it been an incredible journey so far! As you may know by now I am very passionate about animals and enjoy writing about animal rights. Questions? Feel free to email me: [email protected] “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” -Jack Kornfield