I Tried Oil Pulling and Here's What I Experienced

- October 20, 2020

I Tried Oil Pulling and Here's What Happened!!!

Namaste there 🙏,

Hope you’re doing great 😊,

I learned about oil pulling a while ago, when I was doing a little bit of research and study on spirituality, yoga, healthy living, etc. And then I saw all the hype going on all over the internet about oil pulling. Especially, after "Shilpa Shetty" revealed her diet and all the things she does to keep herself healthy and fit, in her video with Pinkvilla.

So, I gave it a try for a quite long time, and here I am with my personal experience from oil pulling.

Hope you enjoy it!!! 😉

In this article,

01. About Oil Pulling

02. Types of Oil Pulling

03. How to do Oil Pulling?

04. Oil Pulling Review

05. Summary/Conclusion

06. Pros and Cons of Oil Pulling

07. Things to Remember

First of all,

Oil Pulling:

Oil pulling also called Kavala Graha or Gandusha. Oil Pulling is a 3000-5000-year-old ancient ayurvedic practice that involves swishing oil in your mouth to promote oral health and overall health. It is similar to mouthwash in which edible oil is swished around the mouth for some time and then spit out.

Oil Pulling helps to remove the toxins, bacteria, and impurities from the mouth.

It also helps in improving oral and whole-body health, including headaches, migraines, diabetes mellitus, asthma, and acne, as well as whitening teeth. It works by pulling out toxins, which are known as ama in Ayurveda.

It has been used for thousands of years as an Indian folk remedy.

Types of Oils for Oil Pulling:

Sesame Oil for Oil Pulling:

It is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. It is used for cooking and it has been used as a healing oil for thousands of years. In traditional Ayurveda, sesame oil is used for oil pulling.

Sesame oil is one of the base products in over 90% ayurvedic oil treatments. Sesame seed is a storehouse of many nutrients and its greatest benefit is in balancing "Vata".

It is a rich source of Vitamin E and other nutrients like zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, iron, and Vitamin B6.

It has the power to kill toxins and a lot of diseases can be prevented by sesame oil pulling. Good choice for improving symptoms of dry mouth or oral inflammation.

Sunflower Oil for Oil Pulling:

Sunflower oil is vegetable oil and commonly used for frying foods. Sesame oil and Sunflower oil - both are being used for oil pulling from ancient times. It’s also a good source of Vitamin A and E.

Sunflower oil offers the same benefits as sesame oil, but with a much milder flavor to almost no taste.

People who don't like oil taste or do not prefer a strong taste of the oil, they can go for Sunflower Oil.

Olive Oil for Oil Pulling:

Olive oil is vegetable oil and commonly used in cooking, it is obtained from olives. Olive Oil is known for lowering the levels of total blood cholesterol thus prevents heart diseases. Most people choose olive oil for oil pulling as it has a number of benefits.

Olive oil is a thick, liquid fat, it seeps into the bacteria-filled pockets in the lining of the gums. Its viscosity is what makes olive oil a more effective cleanser than mouthwash.

It does smell like olives, one who is comfortable with olive oil or prefers olive oil over other oils even for cooking, etc can easily go with Olive oil pulling.

Coconut Oil for Oil Pulling:

Coconut oil is edible oil and used for a lot of purposes. Coconut Oil is quite popular for oil pulling as it offers antimicrobial benefits due to the high concentrations of lauric acid in this oil. Lauric acid helps in destroying "Streptococcus mutants" - tooth decay bacteria.

Coconut oil acts as an anti-fungal compound, it helps to fight anti-fungal agent. Coconut oil as effective as chlorhexidine without the side effects.

Coconut Oil pulling can reduce the accumulation of plaque, reducing the risk of gum diseases.

Coconut oil has coconut flavor and fragrance which is mild. It doesn't feel tick like sesame oil and has a number of benefits.

Other Oil Options:

Canola Oil

Flaxseed Oil

Peanut Oil

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Safflower Oil

Wheat Germ Oil

Ghee: Most people prefer ghee over any oil for oil pulling.

Essential Oil (Optional Step):

Essential oils can be added into any oil with tiny amounts/ 1-2 drops just for an extra antibacterial boost. Oils like tea tree, etc but it is a completely optional step only if someone wants strong anti-bacterial effects. A single drop of essential oil in 1 tbsp edible oil is enough.

How to do Oil Pulling:

Put about a tablespoon of oil in your mouth, then swish it around for 15–20 minutes. Spit out the oil, then brush your teeth.

It is supposed to do in the morning on an empty stomach, before breakfast, or brushing your teeth for better and effective results. Many do it while showering or bathing in the morning.

Spit the oil out in the toilet or onto a piece of paper and put it in the trash — the oil might otherwise clog your pipes over time.

There is no need to use a lot of force while oil pulling. If oil pulling causes pain in your facial muscles, relax a bit. Try using less oil next time and don’t swish it around too forcefully.

My Experience with Oil Pulling / Oil Pulling Review:

Usually, I start my morning with a glass of warm water and then I begin with oil pulling. I take around 1-2 tablespoon of coconut oil and put it in the mouth and start swishing it all around my mouth. I like coconut, the taste of coconut, and other than that it has antibacterial benefits so, I choose coconut oil pulling. I use The HappyGrove Co. - Virgin Coconut Oil.

I do check the time after I begin with oil pulling 😅 so, I can do it till the time I've decided. It is recommended to do it for 15-20 minutes. In the beginning, I started with 10 minutes and then gradually I increased the duration from 10 to 15 minutes and then 20. So, it will help me to get rid of unwanted toxins.

Meanwhile, I just prefer to walk around and check my mails or anything I want to do (without opening my mouth) 😅. Sometimes in the middle, my mouth gets fuller and if I can't really swirl it anymore, I spit it out a little bit so I won't swallow the toxins and continue with the rest of the process.

Before spitting out completely, I boil some water and put some amount of salt into it. After I spit out the oil in the toilet (because I don't want to clog my sink), I take a sip of that warm saltwater and again swish it around in my mouth for few seconds and then spit it out. I repeat the same thing one more time, so I can get rid of that oil or any bacteria leftover completely from my mouth.

Later on, I follow-up with brushing my teeth and usual morning routine right after oil pulling. I do see immediate whiteness on my teeth. I have one dental crown/tooth cap but whatsoever it didn't bother or make it worse while doing oil pulling.

Nowadays, I'm not doing it regularly because of work and all but I make sure to do it on holiday or any day when I'm home or not working. Sometimes I get that wisdom teeth pain but then I follow-up with my oil pulling routine for around 2-3 days and I do not feel that pain anymore.

Even though there is no such scientific evidence or proven to be effective in such cases. But I saw some changes and I'm amazingly impressed.

There are some daily practitioners who even claim that it is effective for bad breath, Dental problems, improvements in a smile, acne problems over the face, etc.

I didn't really hope for any miracle or any Dental problem solution. I just wanted to take an extra step/effort for oral hygiene so, I won't face any problems in the near future related to teeth or any dental health issue.

*Although, I can't really say that it would be effective for each and everyone or for any specific dental problem. If anyone has any dental related issues or some severe dental problem, that can only be treated by the dentist, not with oil pulling.

Overall:

I do, coconut oil pulling weekly and I enjoy my experience with it. I'm not really targeting any specific dental problems, I'm just doing it as an extra step for my oral hygiene. And I did see some effective results such as instant teeth whiteness, no need for mouthwash, relief from toothaches, and after oil pulling routine it gives fresh feelings. So, I'll continue with it.

I can't and won't really recommend it for any severe dental problem. But you can do it for oral hygiene and get rid of unwanted toxins. Just like we use mouthwash for fresh breath and fresh feeling.

Moving on to the pros and cons.

The benefits/Advantages of Oil Pulling:

It's cheap and easy to add to your routine instead of mouthwash.
Oil Pulling helps to reduce inflammation and improve gum health.
It may help prevent cavities with regular practice.
It could help reduce bad breath and completely get rid of bad breath with regular practice.
Oil Pulling helps to kill harmful bacteria in your mouth.
It also whitens teeth and eliminates plaque.
Oil Pulling with regular practice has shown improvement in voice and with any minor throat issues/diseases.
While Oil Pulling you basically exercise with your mouth and use your face muscles, which also result in improving your facial skin health.
Oil Pulling with regular practice also helps to get rid of unwanted fat from your face.
Oil pulling is good and helpful for dryness around the mouth and chapped lips.
It is said that oil pulling is helpful in curing migraines, headaches, other minor diseases, etc.
Some say that oil pulling cures cancer and other diseases by pulling toxins out of the body.

The Side Effects/Disadvantages of Oil Pulling:

It is time-consuming.
Some might experience tooth sensitivity.
In the beginning or with extreme oil pulling you might experience sore jaw or headaches.
It can be problematic or you might experience minor diseases if swallow it after the oil pulling process.
There are few reported side effects from oil pulling, such as lipoid pneumonia associated with oil pulling or mineral oil aspiration. An upset stomach has also been reported.
There are no reliable scientific studies supporting the practice of oil pulling for any benefit to oral hygiene or overall wellbeing.

*Note:

For oil pulling it is recommended to use only Vegetable or Edible or Extra Virgin Oil.

If you have braces on or any treatment has been done to your teeth or around the mouth then avoid oil pulling or please consult your doctor first.

It is recommended to do it in the morning with an empty stomach so you can get rid of the bacteria and unwanted toxins.

Oil Pulling might not work for everyone, begin with half to 1 tbsp.

Oil Pulling is not the replacement for brushing the teeth however, you have to brush your teeth to get rid of oil and any leftover bacteria completely from your mouth. Whereas mouthwash is optional.

Please note that there is no scientific evidence about Oil Pulling benefits so, it might or might not give you the positive results.

If you’re considering the addition of coconut oil pulling or any other alternative therapy to your dental regimen, discuss it with your dentist before starting.

That’s all folks 😄🤗, That was my experience!!!

Thanks for reading, Have a healthy time! 🥰🤗