I've known about the practice for ages, but as with many things I intend to do, I hadn't - until today.
I'm not sure I believe that oil pulling is of any particular benefit to the body, but as I do occasionally brush my teeth with coconut oil instead of regular toothpaste, and I've had good results from doing so, I thought I'd try oil pulling and see for myself if it really is as good as many people claim.
I'm pretty sure you already know, but if you don't here's a rough description of what oil pulling is, and its reported health benefits.
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual, that was reportedly first introduced to the modern World by Dr. F. Karach, MD. in 1992.
Dr.F.Karach, MD claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses.
To do oil pulling, you put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth, and swish (kavala graha) or hold (snigda gandoosha) the oil for 15-20 minutes.
You don't swish vigorously like you do when using mouthwash, you just gently swoosh the oil around your mouth, forcing it between your teeth etc. and then when your time is up you simply spit out the oil, rinse your mouth with warm salt water, and then brush, and floss your teeth as you usually would.
It is important that you don't swallow any of the oil while you're swooshing it around your mouth, as according to followers of this practice this will mean you're swallowing toxins.
Also another important thing to remember is never to spit out the oil into your sink or loo, as it may solidify and block your plumbing.
So, what are the reported health benefits of oil pulling?
Practitioners of oil pulling claim it not only improves your oral health, but your overall health too. They say it whitens teeth, strengthens teeth, prevents cavities, cures gingivitis and improves gum health, freshens your breath, relieves jaw pain, relieves headaches, migraines, cures insomnia, cures sinus problems, cures hangovers, and improves skin complaints including acne, eczema, and psoriasis, and some people have claimed that it also cures diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.
Wow! Is oil pulling a miracle cure?
Oil pulling reportedly 'pulls' out toxins and bacteria which helps detoxify your body thus making you healthier.
I like the idea that the simple act of swooshing oil around my mouth may benefit my health in numerous ways, but I always think that when something sounds too good to be true - it usually is. And the benefits of oil pulling do sound a bit too good to be true.
I mean, while I realise that the mouth is a dark dirty place where bad things lurk, which can spread throughout the body causing serious trouble and health problems, I also think that the human body is a truly amazing thing, that does a pretty decent job of looking after itself, as in detoxifying itself to maintain optimum health.
Well, it does, if you're eating a balanced diet, exercising, and generally looking after your body.
As is often the way with so-called 'alternative' therapies, oil pulling is not something that mainstream medicine thinks highly of. They say that oil pulling has not had sufficient in depth studies to prove its health claims, and that it is not as effective at improving oral health as traditional chemical mouthwash.
I don't know what I think about what they think.
I mean, if oil pulling with a small amount of oil could do all of the positive things practitioners claim, then that would most definitely have a detrimental effect on the dental industry, which is obviously worth a lot of money.
Also I believe that a lot of professional 'healthcare' workers don't want us to use simple, cheap, at-home techniques to cure our health problems. They want us to keep them in a job, they want us to poison our bodies with all of the pills they so readily hand out. After all, the NHS is all about making money by treating sick people, and not about curing sick people.
But I have digressed slightly. I am slightly obsessed with the awful truth about big pharma etc. but that's a topic for another blog post.
So, back on track, this morning I tried oil pulling for the very first time.
Why?
Well, mainly because I've had excellent result when I've brushed my teeth with oil; much whiter teeth, and an improvement in gum health, plus I like the feeling of super shiny teeth that oil brushing gives me, and it's natural, not full of crappy chemicals and worse still - fluoride, like most standard toothpastes are.
So, I thought I'd see if I noticed any of the reported health benefits that oil pulling is said to give.
Typical me though, I couldn't remember exactly what I was supposed to do, other than swoosh with oil, so instead of searching Google just to make sure I was oil pulling correctly, I simply shoved some coconut oil in my mouth and began to swoosh.
I did remember that when you first start oil pulling a tablespoon may be too much, and that 10-15 minutes may be too long. So I used about half a dessert spoon of coconut oil, and only swooshed for 5 minutes.
I didn't find the process horrible, in fact I quite liked it because I love coconut oil, I could happily eat it by the spoonful. But I had to remind myself not to swallow any of the oil as I swooshed it around my mouth, and I realised I was holding my breath quite often too, which wasn't good because as soon as I realised I wasn't breathing I inhaled deeply and wanted to swallow. Oh dear! That sounds wrong. Ha!
Anyway, after 5 minutes I spat out the oil, and that was that.
It was only after I'd had my first cup of tea of the day, that I Googled oil pulling and read about rinsing your mouth with warm salt water, and brushing your teeth as usual.
It is now 4 hours since I did my first oil pulling, and I still haven't rinsed with warm salt water or brushed my teeth as usual. I'm certain that moment has long gone.
See, I'm very slack at doing all of the things I read about and then intend to try.
So, will I continue oil pulling?
I'm not sure.
I know once is hardly enough time to know if it does have any health benefits, but just by writing about it, it's got me thinking that it's probably all nonsense. Swooshing oil around your mouth will pull out toxins etc. Hmm, I'm not sure.
Or maybe I am sure, but I'm just too lazy to bother oil pulling every morning. I think the best way to start my day is with a nice hot cup of green tea, and not with a mouthful of oil.
If I did all of the many many things, that I know are good for me, every single day, I don't think I'd have any time left to do anything else, you know, like live my life.
My willpower is not that strong.
Having said all that, I may try oil pulling again, and it may even be tomorrow morning, and it may even become a daily occurrence, but I wouldn't bet any money on it.
Have you tried oil pulling?
What's your opinion on this Ayurveda practice?
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