Oil Pulling Therapy –Potential benefits and No harm trying.

"That sounds ridiculous," "It will never work. It doesn't make any sense."

Oil pulling has its origins in oil gargling practiced in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back thousands of years, this modern version is relatively new, at least in the United States.

Oil pulling is very simple. Basically all you do is rinse your mouth out with vegetable oil, much like you would with a mouthwash. As simple as it sounds, if done correctly it has a very powerful cleansing and healing effect not only on the mouth and sinuses but the entire body.

Testimonial

"I was skeptical at first," says Lee. "I couldn't see how swishing oil in my mouth could help with my arthritis. I haven't felt this good in along time!" I sleep better at night too, so I have more energy during the day. I no longer need my mid-day naps. I have so much energy I almost feel like a teenager again. My periods have become more regular with less cramping and less mood swings. Also, my teeth, gums, and tongue are cleaner than they've ever been. Some people think I'm crazy when I tell them that oil pulling can help those with asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, diabetes, migraine headaches, PMS and chronic skin problems, chronic sinusitis.

Oil pulling works by detoxifying or cleansing the body. In this way, disease promoting toxins are removed, thus allowing the body to heal itself. As a consequence, health problems of all types improve.

"The first thing that most people notice when they start oil pulling is an improvement in their oral health. Teeth become whiter, breath becomes fresher, and the tongue and gums take on a healthy pink color. Even problems such as bleeding gums, tooth decay, and gum disease are greatly diminished or completely healed.

The Technique of oil Pulling

Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. Dr. Karach claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach's method of oil pulling consists of swishing, not gargling, vegetable oil in the mouth. The oil is "worked" in the mouth by pushing, pulling, and drawing it through the teeth for a period of 15 to 20 minutes.

It is done one to three times a day on an empty stomach. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal. The used oil is discarded and the mouth rinsed out with water. The oil is never swallowed because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous.

Sunflower and sesame seed oils are the most commonly used for oil pulling, but any vegetable oil will work. People have had success with olive, coconut, almond and other oils. I prefer to use virgin coconut oil because of its many health benefits. If you use a mild flavored coconut oil it is very pleasant in the mouth.

The scientific mechanism for its beneficial effect

The oil acts like a cleanser. When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it "pulls" out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime.

The central pathophysiologic event in the natural history of periodontal disease is chronic exposure to pathogenic oral flora. Our mouths are the home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and their toxins. Candida and Streptococcus are common residents in our mouths. Etiologic bacteria that have been implicated in periodontitis include Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, and Treponema denticola.

It is these types of germs and their toxic waste products that cause gum disease and tooth decay. Our immune system is constantly fighting these microbes. Prostaglandins cause oxidative stress, oxidation of lowdensity lipoprotein, and contraction of smooth muscle. Similarly, cytokines can stimulate endothelial adhesion, metabolic wasting, hyperlipidemia, connective tissue catabolism, and release of acute-phase proteins." Many of these have been implicated in systemic diseases. The spillage of immune factors (cytokines) from the vigorous fighting will trigger off immune hyperactiveness with the accompanying side effects of fatigue, insomnia and autoimmune diseases. A number of recent studies have provided evidence suggesting that periodontitis may increase the risk for systemic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases and premature birth of low weight infants.

If our immune system becomes overloaded or burdened by excessive stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and such, these organisms can spread throughout the body causing secondary infections and chronic inflammation, leading to health problems such as endocarditis (heart valves infection), atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases (arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, milk allergy etc), atopic diseases (rhinitis, asthma, eczema).


Oil pulling should become a regular part of your daily schedule, like brushing your teeth. Oil pulling is incredibly effective in brightening teeth, healing gums, preventing bad breath, quenching inflammation, and healing oral infections.

Oil pulling is cheap; the only expense is for the oil you use. It is very easy; you simply swish oil in your mouth. Compared to other forms of detoxification it is relatively effortless. It doesn't require dieting, fasting, or consuming unpleasant, and often bowel loosening, mixes of herbs and pills. And it is completely harmless. All you are doing is rinsing your mouth out with vegetable oil-a food. You're not even swallowing the oil. What can be more benign than that? Nearly anyone can do it, regardless of their level of health.

In Summary

1. Every morning, before eating anything, consume 1 tbspoon of cold pressed oil, but DO NOT actually swallow the oil! Slowly swish the oil in your mouth, sipping and sucking it through your teeth for up to 25 mins. Use a lot of saliva, and mix the two together often. Make sure the oil isn't swallowed.

2. Continue swishing. As you continue swishing the oil, it eventually gets much more thin, and even turns white. Spit out a little into the sink. If the color is not white, it means you are not done. So continue oil pulling until the color of the oil is white.


References
1. Manila K, Neiminen M, Valtonen V, et al: Association between dental health and acute myocardial infarction. Br Med J 1989; 298: 779-82.
2. DeStefano F, Anda RF, Kahn HS, et al: Dental disease and risk of coronary heart disease and mortality. Br Med J 1993; 306: 688-91.
3. Beck J, Garcia R, Heiss G, et al: Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease. J Periodontol 1996; 67: 1123-37.
4. Offenbacher S, Katz V, Fertile G, et al: Periodontal infection as a possible risk factor for preterm low birth weight. J Periodontol 1996; 67: 1103-13.