Have you heard of the term Oil Pulling? By Reef Choudhury
I hadn’t, until recently – now everyone is going on about it. Case in point: http://fashionista.com/2014/03/oil-pulling
So, what exactly is it? In short, it is the process of using oil as a mouthwash.
Oil Pulling is an ancient practice started in India thousands of years ago and it is a natural way of whitening teeth and boosting oral health.The basic idea is that you swish a tablespoon of a vegetable-based oil around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes each day and that this action cuts through plaque and removes toxins without disturbing the teeth and gums. The principle of ‘like dissolves like’ applies here.
The biggest benefit of doing this is that it reduces the amount of harmful bacteria in the mouth. There are thousands of types of bacteria in your mouth – some are friendly, others not so much. With Oil Pulling, the bacteria gets ‘stuck’ in the oil when you swish it around – it then dissolve in the liquid oil.
How to use oil pulling to improve oral health:
- Put one tablespoon of a vegetable based oil in your mouth (we recommend coconut oil)
- Swish it for 15-20 mins. If you don’t do it for this long the oil will not break through the plaque and if you do it for any longer the body will start to reabsorb the toxins and bacteria. So timing is key!
- Spit it out
- Rinse well – ideally with warm water
- Brush well as this will make sure any remaining bacteria is killed.
So, now that you know what Oil Pulling is and the benefits of it, will you be giving it a go?