Laying some science on you from oilpulling.com:
"The effect of this healing process is developed by the intense movement of oil in the oral cavity. In many chronic disorders and germ-play and inflammatory foci, which tend to stick to the tooth roots. The teeth and their roots extend far into the jaw bone and their cavities. These cavities are the body's own defense system. Microbes that enter the tooth necks in these cavities found in this damp, warm and poorly vascularized environment, the ideal conditions in order to establish itself.
The movement of the sunflower oil in the mouth causes a marked mucosal and tissue perfusion. Vitamins and minerals of sunflower oil to be absorbed by the mucous membranes during the same time, oil seeds to the necks of teeth and gums absorbs toxins and removes them from the body."
TL;DR: Your mouth is the gateway to your immune system, when you pull oil around your mouth it mixes with saliva and absorbs toxins and germs through the many pores and blood vessels in your mouth and tongue, thus not only cleansing the mouth itself but also your blood, and allowing the absorption of beneficial nutrients from the oil. Picture a pot full of boiled spaghetti, the water in the pot is the oil mixed with saliva and the toxins, the spaghetti is the nutrients left behind, and the strainer is your mouth.
Some listed benefits:
migraine headaches
bronchitis
diseased teeth
arterio thrombosis
chronic blood disorders such as leukemia, arthritis and related illnesses
neuro physiological paralysis
eczema (this is where my ears perked up)
gastro enteritis
peritonitis
heart disease
kidney disease
meningitis
women’s hormonal disorders
It's one of those all-natural remedies that claim to fix everything, which I don't find so hokey anymore now that I've given many of them a shot, to be pleasantly surprised at the lake of hoke.
There are lots of different oils you can do this with, I chose sesame oil because I like the taste more than other oils, and it is the most recommended next to sunflower and coconut oil. Use a cold pressed, organic oil as a first choice, but you can do it with anything, even vegetable oil, and some work better for others, you just have to test it out and see which one is best for you. According to most oil pulling sources however, sesame and sunflower are the best. It hasn't been long enough for me to notice and vast improvements to my overall health, but since i can already see a difference in my teeth and gums after 6 days of pulling, I think it's a keeper, here is my method and the results:
Step 1. In the morning, on an empty stomach before brushing. Pour about 1 tbsp of oil in your mouth, it might seem like too little, but as you swish the oil around it becomes a huge amount of liquid while it mixes with saliva.
Step 2. Swish oil all through your mouth for 10-20 minutes, do something else while you do this so you don't get impatient. Focus on pulling the oil through your teeth. Do NOT swallow.
Step 3. When at least 10 minutes is up, spit it out and see the disgusting mess that the oil has drawn out of your mouth. When you first put it in your mouth it's clear and glossy, and when you spit it out it looks like straight up bile.
Step 4. Brush your teeth and floss. No seriously, floss your fucking teeth. It makes a huge difference.
The result?
It's not a giant leap, but I can tell an improvement, not only from the whiteness of my teeth but my gums as well. I have a serious dentist phobia and need to be sedated for a simple cleaning, so I have notoriously bloody gums and extremely sensitive teeth, this morning when I brushed I noticed that flossing didn't hurt as much as it normally did, which is why I never did it, leading me into a vicious circle of a horrifyingly disgusting mouth. Will update again in another week.
Oil Cleansing
Here I am yet again eagerly trying out ways to treat my skin without spending hundreds of dollars on overpriced milk masquerading as sensitive facial cleanser. I learned about oil cleansing around the same time I found oil pulling and decided to try them back to back. Basically, it's the same idea as using oils in on your scalp, your skin produces natural oils to clean itself, and if you wash it too much it strips it of those oils which is why your hair and skin can feel "squeaky clean" after washing, which is not a good thing. Washing too much with anything can rob your skin of its natural oils just like shampooing your hair too much can do the same thing.
But I don't want to go too many days without washing my face like I'm living in the musical Annie, so I found oil cleansing. If you're like me and had acne-ridden teenage years or just general skin problems, you have religiously scoped out facial cleansing without oil, oil is the devil, oil = acne and anything with oil in it might as well be slathering bacon grease on your face. So I can understand if you would be confused as to why I'm telling you that washing your face with literally just oil, but trust me.
For my dry, sensitive skin, washing my face with a grapeseed/vitamin E oil mix, has been awesome. I keep it in a little jar in the shower and use maybe a teaspoon to cleanse with, I leave it on my face while I do the rest of my shower duties then wipe it off gently with a wash cloth. Important: Don't stick your fingers in the jar, it will grow bacteria, pour it into your hand then seal that shit back up. When I get out of the shower I moisturize with coconut oil, my skin is then completely 100% clean of any makeup and dirt, so much that I have to change wash cloths every couple of days because they are so dirty. (Here's my chance to just throw in an overdue obsessive shout-out to coconut oil as a makeup remover.)
There are different kinds of oils, cleansing oils and moisturizing oils. Here's a small list:
Cleansing:
Apricot Oil
Castor Oil - This is the big one, I use grapeseed and vitamin E because I already have it at home.
Sunflower Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Sesame Oil
Moisturizing:
Coconut Oil
Avovado Oil
Olive Oil
Vitamin E oil (a few drops mixed with something else)
Argan Oil
I'll try more in the future, but I have a decent oil-museum going on in my bathroom right now that I feel I should get through before I buy more.
Resources for more information:
http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
http://oilpulling.com/index.htm
Emily, I loved your post, thanks for sharing. I wonder if you have kept on oil pulling and oil cleaning since your post.
ReplyDeleteI have tried it.. though not regularly but yes i have tried it many times.It is effective because the mouth is home to a large number of bacteria, viruses and other toxins. The oil works like a cleanser, washing away these before they get the chance to spread through the rest of the body. It relieves the immune system from daily issues and even reduces stress. The first major benefit that can be seen after oil pulling is an improvement in oral health.I recommended to do by Dentist at Dentzz and you can know more about it from the blog here!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post and this coconut oil is best oil for pulling. Thanks for sharing these amazing benefits.
ReplyDelete