Oil pulling or oil swishing is a traditional folk remedy where oil is "swished" (kavala graha) or "held" (snigda gandoosha) in the mouth.
Practitioners of oil pulling claim it is capable of improving oral and systemic health, including a benefit in conditions such as headaches, migraines, diabetes mellitus, asthma, and acne, as well as whitening teeth. Its promoters claim it works by "pulling out" toxins, which are known as ama in Ayurvedic medicine, and thereby reducing inflammation.
Seeing how I have a humongous jar of pure, virgin coconut oil in the cupboard, I decided to give this a try! I've read it whitens teeth, boosts energy, improves skin and so much more!
It's pretty easy, just take a tablespoon, put it in your mouth and swish it around for up to 20 minutes. I know, 20 minutes seems like forever. I do it first thing in the morning while I'm getting ready for work, and hope I don't have to yell at the kids!
If you can't do the 20 minutes, try starting with 5 and work your way up to 20.
Swish vigorously every few minutes, you really want to pull all the nasties from in between teeth and gums.
* Do not swallow this because it is pulling bacteria from your mouth, therefore it is very toxic. (Swallowing non-swished coconut oil is completely fine, in fact it has been said to help in weight loss, but that's a whole other experiment!)
When you're finished swishing, spit the oil out into a garbage can, not down the sink, it will solidify once cold and could cause clogs. Brush your teeth with warm water and toothpaste after.
I am going to document my 14 day oil pulling experience just to see what it really does. I will update daily.
Day 1: Pulled for 20 minutes. Oil has a pleasant, almost nutty flavour. Teeth felt very smooth and my mouth felt clean.
Day 2: 20 minutes. In the evening I noticed my hands were softer than they usually are, teeth smooth and look shinier than usual, overall mouth feels clean.
Day 3: 22 minutes. Woke up and immediately noticed a decrease in "morning breath"! After my coffee I didn't feel like I had nasty coffee breath as I usually do, all day my mouth felt clean. Also my nose isn't stuffed up anymore like it has been for the past two weeks.
Day 4: 15 minutes. Not much different today from yesterday, teeth feel smooth and look shiny.
Day 5: 20 minutes. Teeth and mouth still feel really clean, and I can feel a difference in my gums, kinda hard to explain, but it's a good difference. My skin feels good and the couple of blemishes I have had on my face for what seems like a lifetime, are starting to disappear! Saweeet!
Day 6: 20 minutes. Pretty much exactly the same as day 5!
Day 7: (One Week) This morning I thought I'd switch it up a bit and not pull until later in the day...bad idea! I have coffee breath! I should have not switched it up and kept my morning routine! Gahh!!!
Day 8: So I didn't end up pulling yesterday at all...BAD idea! this morning I woke up with "death breath" that everybody does in the morning, so I pulled for 25 minutes while I was getting ready this morning. After my morning coffee, I had coffee breath,
blechhh...uggg...has all my hard, oil pulling efforts this past week gone to waste? Let this be a lesson to me, to us...you are either committed to a cleaner, healthier mouth, or not...there is clearly no in between.
Day 9: 20 minutes. Mouth starting to feel a lot cleaner after skipping the other day...gahhh...why did I do that?! Teeth look shiny and feel very smooth. Will not skip again!!!
Days 10 - 14: approx. 20 minutes each day. No huge changes from the beginning of the second week; teeth are at least 2 shades whiter, feel clean, smooth and no more disgusting coffee breath!
In conclusion, yes, this is a pain in the butt, but it could easily be incorporated into your daily routine, preferably in the mornings. I am certain after longer use, teeth will become increasingly whiter.
Need helping finding a good coconut oil? Reviews.com tested 6 different kinds of coconut oil and found 2 that taste and feel great. Click here to discover the best coconut oil!
I would love to hear your experience with oil pulling, please feel free to comment or send an email!
Day 3: 22 minutes. Woke up and immediately noticed a decrease in "morning breath"! After my coffee I didn't feel like I had nasty coffee breath as I usually do, all day my mouth felt clean. Also my nose isn't stuffed up anymore like it has been for the past two weeks.
Day 4: 15 minutes. Not much different today from yesterday, teeth feel smooth and look shiny.
Day 5: 20 minutes. Teeth and mouth still feel really clean, and I can feel a difference in my gums, kinda hard to explain, but it's a good difference. My skin feels good and the couple of blemishes I have had on my face for what seems like a lifetime, are starting to disappear! Saweeet!
Day 6: 20 minutes. Pretty much exactly the same as day 5!
Day 7: (One Week) This morning I thought I'd switch it up a bit and not pull until later in the day...bad idea! I have coffee breath! I should have not switched it up and kept my morning routine! Gahh!!!
Day 8: So I didn't end up pulling yesterday at all...BAD idea! this morning I woke up with "death breath" that everybody does in the morning, so I pulled for 25 minutes while I was getting ready this morning. After my morning coffee, I had coffee breath, blechhh...uggg...has all my hard, oil pulling efforts this past week gone to waste? Let this be a lesson to me, to us...you are either committed to a cleaner, healthier mouth, or not...there is clearly no in between.
Day 9: 20 minutes. Mouth starting to feel a lot cleaner after skipping the other day...gahhh...why did I do that?! Teeth look shiny and feel very smooth. Will not skip again!!!
Days 10 - 14: approx. 20 minutes each day. No huge changes from the beginning of the second week; teeth are at least 2 shades whiter, feel clean, smooth and no more disgusting coffee breath!
In conclusion, yes, this is a pain in the butt, but it could easily be incorporated into your daily routine, preferably in the mornings. I am certain after longer use, teeth will become increasingly whiter.
Need helping finding a good coconut oil? Reviews.com tested 6 different kinds of coconut oil and found 2 that taste and feel great. Click here to discover the best coconut oil! I would love to hear your experience with oil pulling, please feel free to comment or send an email!
Very informative post. Thanks for sharing. For teeth whitening this is the best method. you can also use oil pulling for immunity
ReplyDelete