How to Use Oil Pulling to Detox and Heal

If anyone had told me 3 months ago that I'd be writing about something called oil pulling, I'd have thought they were pulling something else.

I first looked into oil pulling when I was doing research on a completely different topic, but the phrase alone made me back up, out of curiosity if nothing else.

Oil pulling is a very old treatment of Ayurveda and is discussed in the Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita, where it is referred to as kavala graha or kavala gandoosha. The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayus(life or lifespan) and veda(knowledge) and has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, even though it's only recently become "popular" in Western cultures.

The primary focus of oil pulling is to aid in the detoxification of the body and to correct or maintain oral health. When done properly, the oil helps your body detoxify by "pulling" mucus, bacteria and other toxins out through your saliva. Aside from these expected results, relief of several other health issues have been reported by those who practice oil pulling daily, including the alleviation of allergies, headaches, respiratory problems, skin problems, digestion, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, to name a few.

How to oil pull.

Sesame or sunflower oils are the traditional choices for oil pulling, as recommended in Ayurveda, although people have had good results using other oils, such as coconut and olive. The process is typically carried out out in the morning on an empty stomach, after brushing teeth gums and tongue (without toothpaste).

One tablespoon or about 10ml (5ml for children) of either sesame or sunflower oil should be taken into the mouth without swallowing. Once the oil is in your mouth, tilt your chin up and slowly swish, suck, chomp and pull through the teeth. Aim for 15-20 minutes of this treatment. You will feel the oil become more watery as your saliva mixes with it; after 15-20 minutes it should have become a thin, whitish foam when you finally spit it out. If it's still (more than very slightly) yellow, you haven't done it long enough.

NOTES: Don't gargle the oil - just swish it in your mouth. Take your time. And by swish, I mean swish hard, chew it, swirl it. Please make sure you don't swallow the oil when you are finished - it is filled with bacteria and is toxic. Once you have finished, rinse your mouth and tongue thoroughly and drink 2 or 3 glasses of water. Headaches and a possible worsening of your symptoms are an excellent indication that your body is detoxing and healing.

Wondering yet if I started oil pulling? I'm sure you've guessed that I did. And I still do. From personal experience I can tell you that my teeth are now very white, my gums are pink and healthy and the weird coating on my tongue that I would regularly wake up with has disappeared. Sinus problems are gone, and in a seemingly unrelated category, my feet are smooth and as soft as if I had a pedicure every day. I wholeheartedly recommend oil pulling, and hope to hear from you if you try it!

Grace Gregory is the face behind Natural Traveling, a healthy living website with regularly updated articles ranging from healthy recipes to natural remedies, as well as natural product reviews.

Grace lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont with her husband and two golden retrievers. Natural Traveling can be found at http://www.naturaltraveling.com/.